Life's Little Wonders
by JeeJayMay
Summary: A Dynasty Warriors Romance story with a modern-day twist! Based upon the Modern-day Job DLC costumes for Dynasty Warriors 8. Title subject to change! SCxDQ, slight other Wu pairings.
1. First Week on the Job

_Hi there, all my dear, wonderful readers! Now, a lot of you might be surprised and even skeptical at seeing a brand new fanfic from me- especially considering I haven't even come close to wrapping up **Finally Found You **yet, nor completed my short story, **Seven White Lilies **(though that one's more complete than the other :P). But all my fellow writers out there will agree that sometimes, when a particularly tasteful, magical, or whimsical idea for a story comes to you, you can't help but want to write it down, and oftentimes share it with the rest of the world soon afterwards. And that's precisely what's been happening with me for the past several days! I was unexpectedly hit with a powerful dose of inspiration, and this initial recipe for a promising story kept brewing in my head and refused to be ignored, until a few days later, I just had to mentally flesh it out into a fanfic! _

_I feel a bit comfortable writing this in knowing that it's going to be primarily romance-centered, and certainly much shorter than **Finally Found You** (maybe on par with** Seven White Lilies**- I can't gauge the length for certain at this point). Although multiple couples will be featured in this story, it's going to be focused on one in particular (no need to mention who!). Now, there are no guarantees that this story will be completed within a reasonable amount of time- that all depends on how much time I can devote to writing it, followed by how high of a demand it's in along with how many reviews it garners. The prime reason I had for starting this was because, as I mentioned before, I thought it was too good of an idea to keep to myself. It's also something new that I haven't tried before, and have always wondered if I'd be able to pull a concept like this off... not to mention been curious as to how well it would be received :).  
_

_To explain where I drew my inspiration for this story- as I'm sure most of you have been aware of for a while, **Dynasty Warriors 8** has now been announced. Moreover, a new **Downloadable Costume Pack** pertaining to **modern-day jobs** for every character has just been announced- and this fanfic is based on the these charming, clever outfits! I don't know how many of you have seen these as of yet since they're relatively new, and I believe only the Wei Kingdom's outfits have been revealed in their entirety. But a handful of the Wu kingdom's costumes have been revealed as well, with more releases right around the corner! For more information on these outfits and where they can be seen, please refer to the **Author's Note** at the bottom of the chapter- because I don't want to cram the beginning of this fanfic with too many boring details!_

_So, to everyone eager to see what I've dished out, here's Chapter 1 of this never-before-done (by me, at least) story!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

"Order up, Da! Bring this over to Table 17, they've been waiting a half hour!"

"Right away, Chef!"

The raven-headed teenage girl hurried over to the counter and snatched up the trays in both hands.

Making her way to the table in question with as much speed as her elaborate uniform allowed, she laid the platters down and repeated in one breath, for what seemed like the hundredth time that day,

"Please enjoy your meal! I'll be delighted to wait on you should you need any further service."

The head of the family, although previously appearing slightly disgruntled, deigned to bestow her with a pardoning smile once the appetizing aroma of the food she had set down hit his nostrils. She gave a short bow and turned on her heel upon hearing the familiar ring of the bell as the mahogany door swung open yet again. Time to seat even more customers... her boss hadn't been joking when he'd warned her that today was going to be especially busy. But that wasn't going to scare her, she told herself. She had made a commitment, and she was going to stick to it. She grabbed a few menus off the rack at the reception desk just in time to greet the newcomers.

Thankfully, it was just a young couple. She almost sighed with relief... there were plenty of smaller tables available. But any more families, and they'd have to start turning hungry people away.

"Welcome to Sun and Sons' Restaurant and Sushi Lounge, my name is Da Qiao and I'll be taking care of you today! Can I start you two off with anything to drink?"

Quickly jotting down the couples' selections, Da Qiao sped back towards the kitchen.

Flinging the doors open, her face flushed brilliantly red, she recited to the kitchen at large, almost at the top of her lungs,

"A Crabmeat Salad and Sashimi Box for Table 32, and a Lamb Chop Special and Calamari for Table-"

"Da."

Her boss stepped in front of her from out of nowhere and plucked the notepad out of her hand. He stared down at her, a slight frown on his face.

"Ch-chef Sun!" she gulped. "Um... um... everything's going well, Sir, no dissatisfied customers! In fact, we even-"

The middle-aged man sighed, shaking his silver-haired head.

"That's not what I'm concerned with, Da. It's obvious to me that Wednesdays are too much for you to handle alone. I blame myself for this- I should have forced Suyuan and Ai to come in-"

"B-but I was the one who said it was okay for them to take the day off! It's not a problem, Chef, honest-"

"Enough, Da," Sun Jian said firmly. Da forced herself not to protest upon seeing that he didn't seem angry, or unkind. Rather, he appeared regretful, almost pitying.

"Look. I gave you this job because I thought you deserved it. I also believed you could handle the responsibility- and I still do," he went on more loudly upon seeing Da's lips twich, "but sometimes even the best of us take more responsibility than we can get on with. Now, I want you to go take a breather, while I-"

"But I promised I could work today-"

"And I'm letting you off the hook. It's too much to ask of anyone, let alone a young-"

"I don't want to let you down, Sir!"

"You won't be. I'm only letting you relax until most of the business thins out. That shouldn't take more than an hour. For heaven's sake, child, no one said you had to do it all alone- all you had to say was that you needed help. Instead, you give those girls a free vacation day!"

Da looked crestfallen.

"I... I didn't want to cause trouble for anybody," she was able to say clearly.

"Yes, and I suppose you'd rather cause trouble for yourself instead. Don't you have homework to do? Exams to study for? College wasn't a breeze for my boys, and I'm certain it isn't for you. Stop overworking yourself."

Da swallowed hard and lowered her gaze. Her boss had, she was coming to learn, an uncanny knack or sniffing out youth's tendencies.

"I'll be able to manage," she said in a voice barely above a whisper. Her courage had reached its limit; she was no longer brave enough to keep eye contact with the owner of Sun & Sons.

Sun Jian's gaze softened as he watched the young girl hang her head. He was a father, after all, with a daughter of his own hardly younger than his newest- and, he had to admit to himself, best- waitress. But as a father and fair employer, he wasn't about to take advantage of her excellent work ethic when he saw the strain all the work was putting on her.

"Take a break in the back, Da Qiao," he repeated more gently. "I won't cut any of your pay for the day. In fact, you get a bonus for even showing up. I'll send for you when the place is less busy, understood?"

She looked back up at him beseechingly.

"But I-"

"That's final," the Chef barked firmly, snatching the pen from her hand as well. "If you don't want free pay, then go help Xun by the bar! Go on, out! You're getting in our way!"

"Yes, Sir."

Blushing furiously as she ducked her head and slipped out the kitchen's back door through smirking sous-chefs and waiters, Da did as she was bidden.

She let out a long sigh. She knew Chef Sun had purposefully sent her to the least busy area in the restaurant to keep her from working. She walked into the bar where Lu Xun sat fingering his red bow-tie on a swivel-stool, looking mightily bored.

Upon catching sight of her silhouette, he leaped to his feet, almost like a solder at attention, and chanted,

"Welcome to Sun and Sons' Bar, how can I help-"

"It's all right, Xun," Da managed to laugh. "It's just me."

"Oh, thank goodness," he exhaled in relief, sinking back down wearily. "Imagine how bad it would've looked if the Chief caught me dawdling like that at work... Still, it's hard to serve at all when there's no one to wait on! I've been standing for hours."

"I could do with that problem," Da groaned in confession, taking a seat by him. "You've got it easy. Bar-tending at a family restaurant!"

"Hey, I had no idea it would be this easy when I applied," Xun insisted. "Would you believe the last customers I served left over two hours ago?"

"Oh, they would," she sighed. "Meanwhile, customers have been pouring in every three minutes on the restaurant side. I can barely take a second to breathe. Maybe the Chief's right. Maybe I've bitten off more than I can chew."

"You aren't thinking of quitting, are you?" asked Xun, suddenly anxious.

Da laughed, a sweetly girlish yet mature sound which Xun never failed to thrill to.

"Imagine that. Quitting when I've only been working for a week. That's got to be a first here, hasn't it?"

"Oh, I wouldn't know," replied Xun with a fresh, youthful laugh of his own. "I was only here a month before you started. I still can't believe I got the job in the first place... I told the Chief I wasn't even legal yet, and all he said was, 'That's fine. So long as you stick to pouring and not drinking.'."

Da laughed again, not at all finding it difficult to imagine Chef Sun Jian in that light.

"I really like him, Xun. He thinks he's working me too hard, but I'm so grateful he gave me a chance. I want to repay him by doing the best I can for his restaurant."

"Well, he gave you more than that," Xun remarked, eying her uniform. "Just a week, and you're already the restaurant's mascot."

"Oh, not the mascot!" Da said at once, embarrassed. "Just Head Waitress... that only means I get this apron and headdress along with the standard uniform."

"It also means you get to boss the other waitresses around," said Xun, smiling. "But of course, you're far too nice to do that. It makes Ai and Suyuan think they can walk all over you."

Da shook her head. "Oh no, that's not how they think," she said slowly, looking at her feet. "They just had... important things to do today, so I let them off the hook. I don't want to be overbearing, you know. I can relate to being overwhelmed with things often. Besides, they've been working here for a lot longer than I have. I didn't want them to resent me for being made their superior..."

Her voice trailed off. She decided not to remember the looks on her co-workers' faces when Sun Jian appointed her as the new Head Waitress instead of them.

"But it's got to be tough, hasn't it?" Lu Xun pressed. "I mean, you have things to do too. Isn't it hard to juggle college when you're working all day _and _looking after things at home?"

"Well, I do have to maintain my scholarship if I want to stay enrolled," Da Qiao admitted, a worried knot in her brow. "And that means I need to stay on the Dean's List. It isn't easy, of course. But don't worry about me, Xun. It's not as if I didn't know what I was getting myself into."

She turned and gave him a slight smile, before turning back to her feet and plunging herself into thought. There was more than she was telling him, of course... but Xun shouldn't have to hear it all. She didn't like to unload her troubles on anyone if she could help it, especially not on someone younger than herself.

"Well, you've certainly got _me_ worried for next year," she heard Xun fretting. "If you're having this much trouble, I don't know how I'm going to-"

"Oh, Xun you'll be just fine," Da said warmly, cutting him off at once. "You're valedictorian. _And_ National Honors Society President. Not to mention you've put in about two hundred hours of community service, _and_ you're at the top of the list for scholarship nominees. You're the last person who should be worried about anything."

Xun smiled back, reassured, and nodded. Da was always so kind and thoughtful. Even when she could use some cheering up herself, she never failed to better the mood of others before tending to her own problems. It couldn't just be an age thing. She was only about a year older than him, and even when they were in high school together, she'd been just the same then, always caring for everyone around her, always there to lend a helping hand...

"At least these uniforms are so pretty," Da mused, stroking the pleated, almost-maroon fabric of her skirt with fond smile. "I love the checkered pattern on my kimono. And the flame motif on your jacket is nice, too," she said, surveying the black, buttoned up dinner vest and shiny trousers her friend was wearing.

_It's just a hassle to keep changing in and out of these every day,_ she thought to herself with a sigh.

Lately she'd been considering attending classes in the uniform to save herself the bother of rushing in to work and dressing in the bathroom in seven minutes tops, and then repeating the whole process for any of her night classes. But she had a feeling that wouldn't work out so well. She didn't want to risk sweating in her clothes all day, after all... she would give off a poor impression of herself as a student and a waitress.

Absently, she watched as the front door to the restaurant opened once more. The shrillness of the bell jolted her out of her thoughts. There was a glass divider between the bar and the Family Dining Area, so she had to crane her neck to see if anyone was attending to the newest arrival. To her surprise, when she got to her feet, the reception area was bare. Had the customers been forced to seat themselves? She exhaled anxiously. Why wasn't anyone else taking their jobs seriously? Perhaps there was something in what Lu Xun was saying about people walking all over her...

"Xun, may I borrow your notepad and pen, please?" she asked, tying her frilly white apron back on.

"Sure, but it's only been about thirty minutes so far," Xun said, taken aback as he handed her what she'd asked for.

"I know, but we've just had a customer, and no one's at the front desk. I don't want us to lose any business. I'll be right back, okay? Please don't tell the Chief!"

Da walked with quick steps over to the other side, menu ready in her hand. She was pleased to see that the place was thinning out already. Many of the families were preparing to leave, satisfied looks on their faces. She hurried to the door to bow them all out one by one before attending to the customer, a gracious smile on her face. Most of her bows were returned; a good sign. She congratulated herself, hopeful that they'd receive many returning customers in the coming weeks.

Finally, she went back over to the tables.

To her relief, the only person without a menu or food on the table was a young man seated alone. He looked a bit older than herself, and was dressed in a tight, white wife-beater and from what she could see, his red trousers were held up with a thick black belt. His hands were placed casually on the table before him, and thankfully, he didn't seem impatient or irritated at having to wait for service. On the contrary, he appeared to be surveying the restaurant with a half-smile on his face, which was slightly upturned as he looked around. He seemed almost nostalgic.

As he stared around the place, he spotted her approaching him.

Cheerily, he waved away the menus she was carrying with a big hand.

"Thanks, but I won't be needing those," he said pleasantly. "I know what I'll be having."

"Certainly, sir." Da found herself warming to his easy, personable manner, and tried to match it. She put away the menu, took out her pad and carefully noted down his order.

"I'll have your order ready in just a bit, if you can bear with us," she promised.

"You don't have to rush it," he said smiling. "I'm on my lunch break, so no worries."

Da bowed, grateful. Now she had to come up with a plan to sneak his order around Sun Jian to keep him from knowing she'd gone back to work...

"Oh, Miss? One more thing," the man called out as she moved away.

"Yes?"

"Please let the chef know he's got a reputation for under-cooking my steak. I want him to get it right this time."

Da blinked, puzzled at his request. A strange smile was tugging at the corner of his mouth, and a sudden thought struck her. Why did he look somehow familiar? She thought hard, but couldn't place him. She was certain she'd never seen him before... she was pretty sure she would remember someone like him if she had. Curiously, she nodded again.

"I'll make sure he gets the message," she said at last.

Turning back, she scribbled his note onto his order. She _had_ to avoid the chef. Making her way to the kitchens, she ducked her head under the counter and quickly slipped the piece of paper on top of it, praying no one could see how foolish she looked. Too late, she noticed the young man catch sight of her from the corner of her eye, an amused look on his face. She took a deep breath. It wasn't his fault. She would be laughing at herself too, were she in his place.

_It's okay. He's just a customer and I'm probably never going to see him again._

She made as if to walk back to the bar unnoticed, when she heard someone call out, "Excuse me?"

Turning around, she saw that the couple she had served earlier were impatiently waiting to leave. She looked to her left and right desperately. No one else was around. It had to be her.

"I'll be right there with your check, ma'am!"

Da flew to the cash register, processed their bill, apologized for the wait when she returned, and no sooner had she bowed them out when another table needed assistance.

Da sighed again. Abandoning all attempts to get back to relaxing, she continued to serve table after table, repeatedly keeping her eye on the young man who had asked her to deliver the strange message to the chef to make sure he was enjoying his food. When she was finally able to come up for air, she had to excuse herself to use the bathroom. The heat was getting to her and her face was moistening up. She needed to wash and wipe it clean before anything else.

Brushing up her bangs and dabbing at her rosy cheeks with a wet towel, Da glanced at herself in the mirror. She sighed again. Even to her, it was apparent that she wasn't getting enough sleep. What with two big tests coming up in a few weeks that she was constantly having to study for when not working at the restaurant, Da was barely giving herself any spare time. Her responsibilities really didn't leave much time for leisure. It was a wonder she was able to appear neat and presentable for work, with not a hair out of place or a stain on her dress.

Or... maybe it wasn't such a wonder, really. Da liked coming to work. It was a beautiful restaurant; it truly was. Everything in it was either made from rosewood or mahogany, and the place had such a rich, royal, and at the same time, almost homey feel to it. She loved the smells of it, and the ambiance it created. The chandelier was perfect for a family restaurant; not too big, not too bright, but classy as well. The chairs were lined with scarlet, velveteen cushions, the napkins were made of red and gold silk... even the uniforms matched. The walls and ceiling were decorated with beautiful swirls of either red or gold calligraphy, with alternating backgrounds. It was a lovely, roomy place, and one she was proud to work at. That was why she knew she had to suck it up and continue to work hard for it. Yes, perhaps today had taken more out of her than she had bargained for, but this was the first time. It wasn't usually like this, after all.

When Da finally hurried back out, she was alarmed at seeing the young man in the wife-beater wiping his hands on the napkin and preparing to leave. His plate was empty; she had taken too long in the bathroom. She should have been paying more attention-!

_Never mind, I'll make sure he doesn't have to ask for the check like the others._

She quickly produced his check and proceeded to run back out, when she came face to face with the man himself halfway to his table.

She caught herself in surprise, and staggered back. The man looked surprised as well, and mechanically reached out to steady her elbow.

"Are you all right?" he asked, concern on his face.

But Da wasn't paying attention. Her head was spinning slightly in confusion. Why hadn't he waited? Had he been trying to leave without paying?

"I'm sorry for making you wait for the bill, sir," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Here you are."

She held out the checkbook.

The man blankly looked at the book, and then back at her. For the first time, he focused his stare on her fully. His eyes narrowed.

"Excuse me?"

His voice, for some reason, sounded suspicious, even affronted.

To her horror, Da found herself blushing under his gaze. Oh, her accursed unpredictable shyness of men- why did it have to resurface now? She swallowed hard, and struggled to explain to him.

"U-Um... I'm sorry, but... you have to pay before you leave. It's the rules here."

_And everywhere else,_ she added silently. Why did he look so offended? Had she said something wrong?

She forced herself to keep looking into his sharp, silver eyes. How did he make them look so intense, so stern? It was all she could do to keep from looking away.

The man folded his arms and turned his head to the side, looking at her quizzically.

"You haven't been working here long, have you?"

Da flushed deeply in shame at his words. Was it _that_ obvious, then?

"A-Actually, I only started last week. Please forgive me if... if my inexperienced showed-"

"No, no, that wasn't what I meant," he said, calmly, unfolding his arms and removing his transfixing stare from her at last. His brow seemed to clear, as though he had figured something out, and she was surprised to see a dimple appear in one of his cheeks. "I understand."

Wordlessly, he took the book out of her hands, fished in his pocket, pulled out a thick wad of cash, slipped it inside and handed it back to her, not taking his eyes off her face.

"Keep the change. It's for your excellent service today."

"I... Thank you," was all Da managed to say, her face hotter than ever. She couldn't look back up at him. She kept her gray eyes trained at her feet.

"If you don't mind, I gotta use the restroom," he said pleasantly. "So if you could stand aside, please," he motioned.

"O-Of course," Da replied.

The moment he was out of sight, she let out a deep sigh, clutching the book to her chest, still in confusion. He had given her almost twice the amount of what he owed. Those had to have been, without a doubt, the strangest few minutes of her life. Why had the man seemed so surprised upon being asked to pay? She couldn't make sense of it. But more importantly, why was her heart racing so fast? And why on earth couldn't she get the way he'd stared at her out of her mind? Or his mesmerizing eyes, for that matter... She gave her head a little shake.

_Well, it's not as if I'm ever going to see him again. He probably won't come back here after what just happened... though I've no idea what I did wrong._

Strangely, this thought didn't make her any gladder than she already was. She was still pondering why that was when a familiar voice jerked her back to her senses.

"Da! What did I tell you about continuing work too early?! Are you begging me for a demotion, child?!"

Da whipped around, ready to spill out the best apology she'd ever mentally rehearsed.

"Chef, I'm-"

Sun Jian had been glowering at her before she had turned to face him, but the moment her heartfelt entreaties were about to escape her lips, something distracted him.

He took his eyes off her, and his face broke out into a smile at something he spotted behind her.

"You there!" he roared, making Da start, his eyes twinkling. "I'll have you know, my steak has been praised since before you were ever thought of, you brat!"

_Steak? Oh, no._

Da gulped. She should have known better than to deliver that message. She _knew_ that Sun Jian took his cooking very seriously. She _knew_ he almost never received complaints. Now he and that young man would get into an altercation, and it would be all her fault. What would she tell the police?! Maybe she could prevent it before it happened... Da dared to turn around.

To her amazement, the man was smiling, his eyes twinkling in the exact same way as the chef's.

"Well, now that I'm around, old man, I'll be the judge of how good it is," he laughed heartily. "So keep 'em comin', Pop."

_Pop?!_

Da's voice caught in her throat as she wildly looked from one laughing man to the other. Her heart beat faster than ever._  
_

_My God. I just asked him to... I just asked my boss's-!_

She felt Sun Jian's heavy hand rest on her shoulder proudly, his face completely devoid of all previous annoyance with her.

"Da Qiao, dear, this is my eldest son. I sincerely hope he was a pleasure to wait on?"

Da tried to answer, but failed. All she could do was nod once.

When was able to raise her head, her boss's son was looking her in the eye once more, still watching her with a smile stretched across his face that took her breath away.

"It was a pleasure being served by you... Da Qiao."

Da couldn't stifle a gasp. Not unnoticed by anyone, her face crimsoned yet again.

Still laughing to himself quietly, the young, handsome man swung open the doors and was gone before Da could even begin to fathom the act of apologizing to him.

* * *

_Well, there you have it! Please be sure to let me know if you'd like me to continue with this- I have the basic plot all figured out in my head so far, so just say the work and I'll bring it out on paper! As I said before, other characters will be making appearances as well, but first, their DLC outfits are going to have to be revealed so that I can place them in this fanfic accordingly!_

_And yes, for those who need confirmation, the young man is in fact Sun Ce. Surprise! LOL, or not, since most of you know me WAY too well hahah. Anyway, the outfits which I've (somewhat) described in this chapter (don't worry, many more descriptions will be coming soon!) are identical to the DLC outfits in question, hairstyles and all. They can be viewed very easily on Dynasty Warriors 8's Facebook Page, (the one with 8600+ likes) or on the Koei Wiki page. I'm sure there are other places they can be seen, but those are the ones I personally find the easiest to locate.  
_

_Finally, please remember to review! I wanted to make this chapter semi-short, because I didn't want it to be too tiresome a read for you to not be able to give me your opinions about the story and where you think it might be headed. So, I hope you enjoyed it, and see you with the next update!_


	2. A New Acquaintance

_Hey, everyone! Well, all of the Wu DLC costumes have been revealed, so it's time for a new addition to this fanfic! I'm back a BIT later than expected for this update... so sorry! But I'm really glad I was able to devote some time to developing this story as much as I could, and I've seen that some of you DID leave reviews (very favorable ones, I might add!) so I'd just like to say that I truly appreciate all the feedback I've been getting! I've basically fleshed out about 70% of this story (in my head of course lol) so it shouldn't be too hard getting it on paper... or rather, online. I'm relieved that most of you are taking to this story pretty well. I can't complain, seeing as I still haven't updated my main DW fanfic, nor have I yet finished **Seven White Lilies**, nor posted up that promised Yu/Xiao oneshot (no, I haven't forgotten about that!) so it's a good thing this fanfic's getting the attention it is. _

_Well, I don't really have TOO much else to say in this Author's Note, other than I'm very pleased that several of you noticed how I've changed up Da's character just a bit in this fanfic- some of you pointed out in reviews and PMs that she acts a bit more like the way she does in the game- and that's just how I wanted to portray her (minus the cowardly bit when she's confronted with war, obviously)! Her base personality is, of course, unchanged, but several characteristics and quirks have been added- like how she gets shy around certain kinds of men (since there's no hint of shyness around Sun Jian or Lu Xun, I think it's fair to say you all have a pretty good idea of what kind of men she gets flustered around... ;) ), how she acts a bit softer and more reserved, etc. But she's still basically sweet, kind, smart, hardworking, helpful and of course, beautiful- though that hasn't been mentioned yet since, well, she's completely unaware of it herself! Will that change-? Let's read and find out.!  
_

_Here's Chapter 2._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

The next several days went by much more smoothly at Sun & Son's. Da Qiao had gotten over most of her mortification at what had passed that Wednesday afternoon, Ai and Suyuan were back at work for the most part (albeit not without their occasional tendencies to slack and gripe), Chef Sun had been humming tonelessly as he cooked, and schoolwork wasn't proving to be much of a challenge so far. To top it all off, the restaurant wasn't looking busy at all that day- the perfect opportunity for Da to look over some of her notes.

"Do you really need to carry those around everywhere you go?" Lu Xun asked, yawning as he stretched from his seat at the bar. "You're smart enough without all that reviewing."

"It's just one notebook. And the Chief doesn't mind as long as it's out of the way for the most part." Da smiled. She'd been feeling much better than she had in days. Sure, she still barely had a free moment to relax, and technically, she was still at work. But even so, this was much more doable than flying around the place without a second to spare. She decided she liked Monday mornings.

"He loves you. I doubt he'd mind if you set the place on fire. As long as Ai and Suyuan are the only ones in it, of course."

"Stop that, they'll hear you!" Da gasped, snapping her book shut, her eyes wide with alarm. She looked about to make sure they weren't too close to the bar.

Xun laughed at her. "Come on; you know it's true. Those girls are almost useless without you."

"They aren't, they just need some motivating," Da said brightly, re-opening her notebook with a slight air of confidence. "Dedication's the most important part of any job. Without it, no one could perform to the best of their ability."

Xun fought to keep a chuckle from escaping his throat.

"Yes, you mean like how dedicated you were when you made the Chief's son-"

"I thought we weren't going to mention that anymore!" Da bristled at once, reddening. "_Honestly,_ Xun. You could have told me it was him!"

"I'm sorry; I didn't even see who it was! You know I would have if I did. Besides, you shouldn't have been at work anyway. You were supposed to be relaxing."

"Yes, well," Da sighed, eager to end the topic, her face still pink at the cheeks. "What's done is done. At least I know now. And that he comes around sometimes to drop off supplies, right?"

Xun nodded.

"That's right; either him or his brother make most of the deliveries. I don't see the other one around as much, though. But, I've only been working here a month so who knows, that might change."

"Good. I guess I'll apologize to him then. _If_ he doesn't hate my guts that is. Or I'll just avoid him..." she trailed off.

The second option seemed safer to her. But of course, it was one that would be unacceptable. She still couldn't believe that she had simply stood there gawking at him as he left, instead of stepping forward, asking for his forgiveness, and putting the matter behind her forever. He must have been so offended... It was just what she needed to have on her plate at this point, _more_ time to have to deal with the repercussions of her actions. She suddenly became aware of what Xun was saying.

"...thinking I won't be a bartender anymore. I'd much rather wait on people like you. It would sure beat sitting around with no one to serve for hours."

"But who would take care of the bar then?" Da asked, puzzled.

"People are always looking for jobs here. I'm sure the Chief would find someone. I heard him talking about someone who wanted it just the other day."

"Well then, that's good," Da said, trying to cheer him up.

Xun turned a tortured face to her. "Plus I've had it with Ai and Suyuan forcing me to cover for them all the time. This isn't what I'm being paid for."

Da sighed. It was true; for all his brains and wits, Xun was still a very sensitive boy whom a pair of high school girls would have no chore manipulating. Particularly when they were slightly older than him and used any or all of their feminine wiles to guilt him into letting them have their way and coming up with excuses for their unauthorized absences. It was getting to be painful for Da to pretend as though she didn't realize that Ai and Suyuan were sneaking off when they were supposed to be tending to customers. But she would rather take matters into her own hands than confront them about their actions.

"You just need to learn how to tell them no," Da tried to say gently.

Xun scoffed.

"Come on, Da. _You're_ head waitress. Tell them off. Come on, they deserve it."

Da shook her head firmly, a slight knot in her brow. "I'm not having them hate me, okay? I can get by without that."

Xun exhaled, but left it at that. The last thing he wanted was for Da to get annoyed with him. As for what he _did_ want... well, there was no need to bring that up now, when she was so engrossed over her notes. A few more minutes passed. The sound of a van pulling up floated in through an open window in the kitchen.

Xun groaned at the sight of Ai and Suyuan rushing over to another window as each made pathetic attempts to hush the other's excited squeals.

"Oh, look. What do you know," he said loftily. "I guess he's here already. How great for them. They finally get to show signs of animation at work." He rolled his almond-shaped brown eyes in disgust.

Da lifted her head from her book. "What do you mean?" She turned in her seat to see, curious.

"Oh, right. Sorry, you don't know this yet... Ai and Suyuan always get like this whenever the Chief's son comes by. Well, some of the others probably feel the same, but trust me, you won't see _anything_ like this from any of them."

Da frowned slightly. Sure enough, the two girls' faces were almost glued to the window as they kept shoving each other out of the way. The kept whispering and sighing to one another.

"Why?"

"Ask _them_," Xun said shortly. A eager smile lit his features when a couple began making their way to the bar, and he immediately leaped to his feet to serve them.

Deciding to get out of his way and keep a better eye on the customers herself, Da bid Xun goodbye. She went over to the counter, where she was able to see most of the restaurant, and, unfortunately, where she was in plain earshot of her two gushing coworkers. Giving her head a slight shake, Da attempted as best as she could to focus on her notes. However, it seemed Ai and Suyuan had other plans, as they barely masked their provocative conversation. Bits and pieces of what they were saying floated towards Da's ears.

"_Gosh. _Just_ look _at those_ arms. _How much would you say he lifts?" came Suyaun's nasally, stereotypically teenaged voice._  
_

"He could lift_ me_ anytime he wants, that's for sure," Ai sighed carnally, resting her chin on her hands and gazing out dreamily. "He's so_ lush_. Do you think he'd consider dating a high-schooler?"

Suyuan let out her dreaded shriek of derision. "Oh, keep dreaming. I'd wonder the same if he didn't have a girlfriend."

"He has a _girlfriend?!_" Ai squealed, her elbows sliding off the table, hands clutching at her necklace. "How do you know? No one told you!"

Suyuan snorted. "No one has to, honey. You're crazy if you think _that_ could stay single for long. I could die, but I'm happy enough knowing there's no rule against looking."

Ai scoffed, and tossed her long curls.

"Oh, what-_ever_. I'm eighteen. There's no way I'm giving up until I officially _see_ the broad on his arm. He's never brought anyone around yet, so why jump to conclusions? As far as I'm concerned, he's totally up for grabs."

"And you're totally nuts."

"Does that mean I've got dibs?" Ai asked at once, brightening.

"Heck _no!_"

They both dissolved into high-pitched giggles, much to Da's chagrin. She gritted her teeth to keep from telling them to shut up.

_I'm a lot nicer than that. I'm way too big of a person to snap at someone else just for being themselves, _she chanted to herself over and over again. So far, it was working quite well.

"Oh, I can't take any more of this. I'm going over to talk to him. Wanna come with?"

_Wait, what?!_

Da tossed her book aside and hurried over, catching the two of them just as they reached the mahogany double doors.

"Hold on, you can't leave yet!" she said breathlessly. "We still have an hour to go on our shifts!"

Ai sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on, Da," Suyuan implored. "Can't you just lighten up for us a bit? We'll only be a few minutes. That's not much now, _is_ it, babe?"

"But-"

"We're only leaving because we know _you'll_ understand. We'd _never_ do this if Chef Sun was around right now. But you _always_ have our backs! That's what makes you such a great boss. Right, Su?"

"Mm-hmm. I was just saying that, Da! Ask Ai."

"Well... I..." Da stood there, speechless, powerless as she was faced with the two girls' imploring, desperate expressions. She inhaled deeply, knowing where this would lead to if she refused. "Well, if it's only for a few minutes," she relented at last.

"Yay! You got it, girlie!" They each slapped a kiss on either of her cheeks before prancing out the doors.

Several yards away, Da could see Xun tutting and shaking his head with his arms folded. She stuck her tongue out at him defiantly, making him laugh as she'd hoped. But Da felt far from laughing... If Chef Sun showed up at anytime now, it could cost her her job. But that wasn't the only reason why she felt slightly sick. She liked the man very much, and felt as though she was abusing the authority he had bestowed upon her as Head Waitress. This wasn't why he chose her... she was picked because he thought her trustworthy. Not because she was willing to excuse the girls from work so that they could go flirt. She took another deep breath.

_It's okay. I can hold down the fort for five minutes. It's not even like it's crowded today._

Da made her way back to the front choosing a seat by the window so that she could keep an eye on them as well as the customers. She knew they'd need to her to call them back in once they lost track of time. She was sure to inch as far away from their line of vision as was possible.

Outside the restaurant, a white van was parked a little way from the back by the stockroom; its rear doors open and several crates and cartons stacked about it. A few feet away from it were Ai and Suyuan, and sure enough, they were talking to the young man Da had served not four days ago.

It didn't seem as though they were having a mutual exchange. From what Da could see, they had positioned themselves right in front of the storeroom doors, blocking his path to it as they barraged him with words Da couldn't hear. All he seemed to be doing was nodding politely, one hand on his hip, the other holding onto a wooden crate that was tucked under his arm. It seemed they had ambushed him while he'd been unloading the van.

Da studied him for a few minutes. He had his back to her, but she could still clearly make out his tanned, muscular arms, the white wife-beater, and a white hard hat that hung just above his back from black straps around his neck. His feet were planted apart, and she hoped he wasn't getting annoyed with them, but if he was, he didn't show it. She continued watching. His brown hair, almost the color of the restaurant doors, was tied up high on his head with a red band. She could almost make out a design on one leg of his maroon pants, but the details, due to her aerial position, evaded her.

Ai was fingering a curl of her hair as she spoke to him, batting her eyes. He seemed to give a short reply, and Suyuan threw back her head and laughed. Da couldn't help but wince. They were flirting outrageously with him, and he was handling it admirably. She only hoped he didn't get offended and send word to his father. Da needed the extra help around the restaurant, meager though it was. Hui and Ming, the other two waitresses working under her, didn't have flexible hours, and couldn't be relied on as much, pleasant though they were to work with.

The man then appeared to request something of them, and they fairly tripped over themselves to comply, rushing over to drag one of the smaller cartons between them and disappearing into the storeroom with it.

The Chef's son seemed to exhale with relief. His back still turned, he stooped down to pick up a few more boxes, stacking them on top of each other. Da couldn't stifle a gasp at what he did next. Taping all three of the large, heavy boxes together, he scooped them up and over his shoulder, and without missing a beat, walked into the stockroom to dump them in.

Da's eyes were still wide open with shock, her mind stunned. How had he done that? He certainly looked strong; there was no doubt about that... but what he had just done wasn't something most people saw every day.

He was back out in a few seconds, looking toward the van so she still couldn't see his face. Stopping at the back doors again, he stretched his arms and back, one hand rubbing his neck. Da sat silently. Why was she still watching him? Suyuan and Ai were probably coming back upstairs from the stockroom now, seeing as he no longer was with them. So why wasn't she moving from the window?

He pulled out a water bottle and began shaking it. Da wondered if now would be a good time to go and apologize to him, and then decided it wasn't.

Suddenly, the man turned his head up and looked right at the window where she sat. In a flash, Da had jumped out of the chair and out of sight. Her heart thumped at how close of a call that had been. Had he seen her? She couldn't be sure. She prayed he hadn't. That would mean one more agonizing apology she had to make. Da sighed. She would just have to take for granted that he hadn't seen.

She could hear the approaching voices of Ai and Suyuan.

"Did you _see_ the way he was smiling at me?! I've made up my mind, I'm talking to him again next time. I don't care what it takes-"

"Never mind_ that,_ remember all the boxes he was carrying?! Is he ripped or _what?!_"

They appeared, giggling and moving as though they were tipsy.

"Okay, let's get back to work, girls," Da called, still slightly breathless herself, as she collected her thoughts. "You've had more time that you asked for."

"Sure thing, Da!" Suyuan was still giggling. Ai gave her shoulder a playful push. Da watched them in mild wonder. It was rare for the girls to be in such a good mood for so long. Maybe this was good for them, she mused.

"I'll be at the cash registrar. I want to see how much profit we've made today so the Chief won't have to. Call me if you need anything, okay?"

Grateful that the place was fairly easy for them to handle, Da sat by the small nook that was the registrar and began going through the receipts. Even though Monday mornings didn't seem busy, the restaurant was still by no means behind on profits or income. It made her happy. As she went through all the bills, her eyes caught sight of something she hadn't seen before.

Something was sticking out from behind the machine. Something with an elaborate rosewood frame. Curiously, Da reached forward and pulled it out.

She blinked in surprise. It was a framed photograph, probably dated many years ago. Da recognized a black-haired, less-lined Sun Jian, with one hand resting on the shoulder of a young, beautiful beaming woman. The woman was holding a child that wasn't much more than an infant. By the adults' feet stood two young boys, one taller than the other. She squinted at the picture, brushing off a bit of dust. The taller boy had his arm around the other's neck. He wore a mischievous grin and had the woman's silver eyes. Could he be-?

"Hey, there."

Da leaped up in shock, setting down the picture as though she'd been burned, her breath catching in her throat. Looking up, she found herself gazing into the same silver eyes she'd just seen.

It was him.

"Oh... I..." To her amazement, he didn't look angry. "Um... H-hello."

He smiled, surprising her further. "I thought that was you in there. It's Da Qiao, isn't it?" His voice sounded friendly. But that was far from reassuring.

_Oh, no. He does remember._

"Y-Yes... How can I help you, sir?"

"Just passing by. I came to drop off some supplies." His dimples deepened as he surveyed her standing as still as she was. "Mind if I have a seat?"

"Oh! Please... please do."

_Why is the Chef's son talking to me...?_

He pulled up a chair a foot or two away from hers.

"Everything all right with you? Why're you in here, if you don't mind me asking?"

_Not because I just saw you outside and thought you caught me watching and decided to hide from you._

"Well... I was just... recording all the business we made today. I didn't want the Chief- I mean, your father- to have to do it himself when he came back. So... um..."

"Oh, I see. Well, he's pretty lucky to have someone like you working for him. Especially since you don't let anyone walk out without giving him what they owe."

His eyes were twinkling. But Da flushed deeply with shame at the memory.

"Please," she said breathlessly, hurriedly rummaging through the registrar at once and counting out bills. "Take back your money. I never would have if I'd known... It'll never happen again, I promise." She held out the cash to him. He didn't move, and simply stood there with his hands in his pockets, a slight smile on his face. Was he waiting for something?

"And I'm sorry," she blurted out in addition. "I should have apologized that day, but I hope you'll accept it now."

His hands remained where they were. His gaze softened a bit.

"There's no need to apologize, you were just doing your job. You earned the money. I don't need it either, and if you think about it, by going to the restaurant it's basically coming back to me anyway, see?"

If anything, this just served to make Da flush harder.

"Um... If that's how you see it," she said finally, swallowing. She slowly put away the cash without looking at him.

"There's nothing to be sorry about," he said carefully, watching her. "I hope you don't think I'm angry at you or anything..."

Da whipped around to face him.

"Oh, aren't you?" she cried hopefully, her voice incredulous. "I've been so afraid you were!"

His face broke out into a smile, and he laughed out loud.

"No, not at all! Is that why you're all nervy right now? Wow, you had me really worried there!" He continued laughing, and Da felt a wave of relief wash over her.

_Oh, thank goodness._

Curiously though, her face still hadn't stopped feeling hot.

"I don't think my old man introduced us properly that day. I'm Sun Ce. Nice to meet you."

He held out his hand.

Da hesitated, then shook it, marveling inwardly at how easily her hand was swallowed up in his.

"Do you work here every day?"

"Yes," Da answered. "But my hours aren't regular. I have school, so..."

"I see," he nodded. Da wondered why the warmth of his hand was still lingering on hers. She rubbed her palms together absently.

"So, are you in college?"

She nodded. "I'm actually a sophomore. But younger than most." She attempted to laugh easily. It came out just the way she felt- timid and not very comfortable. She decided not to force herself to laugh anymore.

Sun Ce squinted slightly.

"Don't mean to sound rude, but how old are you, then?"

"...Nineteen. I won't turn twenty for another few months."

"Nice. I'm out of college, but I just turned twenty-three myself. Did you skip a year or something?"

"Well, something like that," Da admitted. "I took two semesters of work in one last year. And I'm doing it this semester too."

Sun Ce whistled.

"Any particular reason for doing that?"

"Plenty, actually. I'm on a fully-paid three-year scholarship, and I need to take advantage of it if I want to graduate within that time. I can't pay for an extra year of college myself since there's a lot of other expenses that my father has to consider, plus there's also my sister's education to think of, and we haven't enough-"

Da felt her face grow hot again here, and realized she'd said too much. Shutting her mouth firmly, she turned in her seat and went back to counting receipts, her blush spreading.

Strangely enough, Sun Ce didn't move. He didn't ask her to continue either.

"I recognize that apron," he said presently. "And that headdress. Head Waitress, huh? Pops chose well."

Da cheeks reddened again, but thankfully, it was for a different reason than before.

"It's just because I could devote the most time," she said in small voice. "No special reason, really."

Sun Ce laughed.

"I seriously doubt it. After all, he knew what he was doing when he chose _her_."

Da blinked. He was pointing to the framed photograph she'd been looking at earlier. At first, Da didn't understand. Then-

"Oh," she said in hushed tones. "You mean your..."

"Mom, yeah. First and best head waitress the restaurant's had for twenty-five years."

Da cautiously looked up at him, and saw that there was no change in his smile. In fact, his mother's eyes were twinkling gently. Da didn't know what to say. It was no secret that Sun Jian was a widower, and had been for many years. His wife had died young, of what, Da hadn't asked. She was afraid that the conversation had drifted towards dangerous matters. But Sun Ce didn't look it. He was studying the picture fondly.

"This was taken about fifteen years ago," he explained, picking up the frame. "There's me," he said unnecessarily, pointing to the taller boy. "That's my brother Quan. And Mom's holding my baby sister, Shang."

He inched his chair closer so that Da could see.

Her eyes moved over the handsome young man, his lovely wife, the adorable child in the mother's arms. The two cute brothers. The whole family was standing in front of a biggish diner-like complex, with a sign overhead reading 'Sun & Sons'...

"You have a really beautiful family," Da said, almost taken aback by the sincerity in her own voice. It was true. They were nothing but the picturesque perfect family, so content with each other, so hopeful and full of life.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Aren't they awesome? It's not the same without Mom, of course. But we've been all right. She'd be thrilled to see how well we've managed, and how far the restaurant's come since then... even with her gone."

Da felt a lump come to her throat, and felt ridiculous. Sun Ce's voice was nothing but proud and doting. There was no reason for her to feel such sorrow on his behalf. All she could do was nod in agreement.

"Pop's thinking about blowing up that picture and framing it right here, on one of the restaurant walls. It might give the place a more personal touch, y'know? Make it feel more homey."

"That would be a great idea," Da said at once, her brow clearing. "We'd all really like that."

She turned to him eagerly.

"And maybe you could put something like a slogan, or quote under it, from your father! Oh, or a motto of sorts, something your family lives by! That would make it even cleverer!"

All the while she'd been talking, Da had forgotten just how handsome Sun Ce was up close. Seeing his smile widen at her enthusiasm reminded her. The moment her last words had escaped her lips, she clamped up again, unsure of what to say next. It was a bit unsettling, how well-sculpted his nose was... To give herself time to think, she looked down at her hands. She saw for the first time that one of his trouser legs had an intricately embroidered tiger running down its length.

"I'll consider it," Sun Ce said softly. "That's the first time I've seen you smile, you know. You oughta do it more often."

Da's blush returned, brighter than ever. There was no way he couldn't see it. She wished she could just disappear.

"Uh... I'm sorry if Suyuan and Ai've been troubling you. I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Ah, right, those two," Sun Ce said, his tone changing completely. Da braved a glance at his face and was surprised to see an expression there that looked much like a grimace. "They're pretty interesting to say the least."

He laughed, and brushed his bangs off his forehead, revealing a white headband with a single red stripe.

"I'm sorry," Da said again, regretfully. "It's my job to make sure they don't slack at work. But I can't bring myself to be so uptight. I'd rather they enjoyed working here instead of having a boss breathing down their necks."

"Right, they've got my old man for that," he said, with such a straight face that Da couldn't suppress another small smile. He snickered. "Nah, it's not too much of a problem. I don't come around every day, and I can't say I haven't dealt with stuff like this before. You don't need to worry."

"Oh, that's a relief," she breathed. "Still, it does affect how things run whenever they go off on breaks like that." Da frowned at the floor. "I'm almost beginning to think firing them would be doing them a favor," she muttered.

To her amazement, Sun Ce suddenly laughed out loud, the sound filling the tiny registrar booth.

Da blinked at him in surprise.

"I like you," he said bluntly, surveying her through his twinkling eyes. "Mind if I come back to talk to you again? You're nice to hang around."

Da's face went scarlet from her nose to her throat.

"U-Um... sure, that would be nice," she managed to get out.

"I'll make sure not to get in your way." He rose to his feet, his heavy brown cleats making an audible thump on the hardwood floor. How hadn't she heard him coming-? "I only make deliveries about four or five times a month, anyway," he went on. "Pop's part of construction company a little way off from here, and I spend most of my time working there."

That explained the hard hat... and possibly the muscles.

"O-Okay," Da answered.

Wordlessly, Sun Ce held out his hand. She shook it. He smiled pleasantly, his eyes warm.

"See you around, Da." He turned to leave.

"Goodbye, Mr. Sun."

Sun Ce did a double-take. Turning back to face her, he raised an eyebrow at her in disbelief.

"Oh no," he said firmly. "There is no way you're gonna call me what everyone calls my old man, I'm barely older than you are. The name's Ce. Got it?"

Da nodded at once, her heart pounding with embarrassment.

Ce laughed.

"All right, then. Seeya."

He turned on his heel and was gone.

Da released all of her pent-up breath at once the moment the doors had swung shut. Well, that was hardly relaxing... how had she been able to fluctuate from being so comfortable to so timid around him all in one sitting? Still, though, it was strange of him to single her out in the entire restaurant and to then choose to have a seat and talk to her. But he'd seemed to thoroughly enjoy the conversation they had... many a time it was almost as if he'd been having a good laugh at her discomfort. It seemed curiously reminiscent of their last encounter.

_I think my boss's son likes messing with me._

She groaned, and dropped her head onto the desk in front of her, one hand wrapped around each of her be-ribboned pigtails.

She really wasn't getting much better around men like Ce.

* * *

"I'm home."

Da Qiao shut the door behind her and stepped into the living room. It had been a long day at school, and then she'd had to put in another three hours at the restaurant, which were considerably busier than the ones that morning had been. She was tired, a bit more out of sorts than she would have liked to be, and had a good deal of homework left to tackle for the evening, but still, she was smiling. Coming home was always the best part of every day.

The lights were all on and a pleasant smell wafted from the kitchen.

"Sis! Welcome back!"

Da's face broke into an even happier smile as her seventeen-year old sister danced into the living room to hug her.

"You took longer than usual to come home today. Did you have to fire anyone? Did your teacher get into an accident?" Xiao Qiao's incessant, ever-inquisitive questioning began, her bright-eyed and rosy-cheeked face excited to hear about any college adventure Da had to tell her.

Da laughed as she took off her things and pecked her sister's head. She left her shoes by the door and folded her apron along with her headdress.

"No, nothing of the sort, silly. How was your day today? Anything happen at school?" Da asked as they walked toward the kitchen.

Xiao giggled.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Cheerleading practice was fun, everyone voted on one of my new routines again. I'll show it to you after dinner!"

The went into the kitchen where their father was setting the table. He smiled lovingly the sight of his older daughter.

"Welcome home, dear. I hope you're not too tired for some dinner."

"Dad, you're setting three plates! Didn't you two eat yet? It's almost eight-thirty," Da protested, her face plaintive. "I told you I didn't like you waiting up."

Qiao Xuan marched forward and drew his girl into his arms.

"What's a few hours for us to eat as a family together, hmm? You work so hard every day, it's the least we can do."

"Don't sweat it, Sis. We'd much rather not eat without you at the table, remember?" Xiao piped up as she pulled up a chair, tugging on her honey-brown ponytail.

Da hugged her father tightly in gratitude.

"Oh, if you insist," she relented, eliciting laughs from her family.

The three of them sat together and dined on spaghetti and meatballs, both daughters filling in each other and their father about their respective days.

"Oh, Sis, did you ask your boss about that job yet?" Xiao asked presently, pointing her fork at her sister. "I need to find _some_ way to earn some money around here if I wanna help out!

"Sorry, Xiao." Da stifled a yawn. "The Chef wasn't in today. He should be back before long, though. I'll ask him then, okay? I'm sure he'll be able to find you something."

"No problem," Xiao said, beaming. "Yay, I get to work close to you! Then I can tell those nasty girls who've been giving everyone so much trouble to back off."

"You'll do nothing of the sort, Xiao," Da said sternly. "I won't have you getting into scrapes at work."

"Aw, but if they get too out of hand? And if no one else wants to?"

"Well, maybe then, but only once. And don't go overboard. Okay?"

"Yep! I can't wait to get started. I can see what Xun's like at work, too. Do you know, he never lets me take a test without making me review things with him first. He really took your request seriously! Just the other day, he-"

As the two sisters continued sharing their stories and laughing over their friends' funny antics, Qiao Xuan sat back watching and listening to them with a soft, proud smile on his face.

_More and more like their mother every day._

They really were something, his girls.

* * *

_Well, that's the end of that chapter! It was a bit longer than the first one, but this story's still just getting started! I hope you guys are enjoying this fanfic so far! Just a few things I'd like to mention about this story- since Ce's already graduated college in this story, and Da's still basically in her second year, it's only natural that he be three years older than her (since Da will be twenty before long, and and Ce recently turned twenty-three.) Plus I kinda wanted Ce to be an older in this story- and since they're both adults and still pretty young, I really don't think it's a big deal. Plus it's not like they're dating or anything (heeheehee ;) ). Also, and I could not make this any more obvious, Ce is meant to be a pretty bangin' hot guy in this story (just like he is in all of them lol). Which should sorta explain Ai and Suyuan's obsessiveness over him :P._

_I also wanted to introduce Da's family before long, so that's why I felt the need to include the little scene at the end. Hope everyone's glad to meet Xiao! And I'm pretty sure seeing a loving and doting father in Qiao Xuan is a nice breath of fresh air from his usual demeanor in **Finally** **Found You**, limited though it is- I hope it's something all of you can be content with! Anyway, next chapter should be up in a couple of weeks. Remember to please keep those reviews coming if you wanna see more (believe me, it's gonna be goooooooooood!)! Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and I hope this one will be as loved as the first!_


	3. Under The Umbrella

_I'm very glad that the last chapter was so well-received among all of you! It's things like this that make me want to keep updating a story :). It makes me really happy that I've been earning so many more new readers who appreciate how this story is written, and I only hope to keep you just as happy with upcoming chapters, and thus garner more of you! Aside from thanking everyone for their positive and encouraging reviews, I'd just like to mention that I'm very satisfied with all of the DLC for **Dynasty Warriors 8** so far- not least of all by any means with the new wallpaper featuring all the gorgeous Ladies of Wu- can I just say, Da Qiao looks nothing short of darling! I love how she's practically the center of attention, and while I think all of the female wallpapers are simply beautiful, the Wu wallpaper was in my opinion the one where the most camaraderie between all the girls was displayed. Kind of highlighting how Wu is the kingdom that is based on family and friendship ties :).  
_

_Well, I don't have much more to say, other than here's Chapter three, coming barely a week after the last chapter, just for you!  
_

_Enjoy._

* * *

Da Qiao knew she shouldn't have relaxed so soon. It was Friday evening, and Sun & Sons was about to be packed as ever. The restaurant side, at least. On the other hand, Lu Xun stood over by the bar, waiting, as often was the case, with nothing to do but stare glumly at passing customers who only desired some dinner. Chef Sun was in the kitchen today as well, as he normally was every Friday night. He liked to serve people food cooked by his own hand when he knew it was going to be a busy night. Da was grateful for his presence. Everyone worked just a bit harder when he was at the helm, including Ai and Suyuan, who, mercifully, had showed up earlier and were following orders without complaint so far.

Still, on the whole, Da believed tonight would be nothing she couldn't handle. At least she was starting to get the hang of things better now. And Xun would most probably switch over to being a waiter soon enough, so Da would be grateful for his extra help. Her happiness at work would have been complete if Xiao Qiao could have joined her in the restaurant as well, but Da understood that there wasn't much about _that _she could complain about. As she straightened chairs and centerpieces at the tables before customers were due to arrive, she mentally played back the conversation she'd had with Chef Sun right before she was to begin her shift.

"I've been meaning to ask you for a favor, Chef," Da had informed him in the kitchens, slightly breathless, as sous-chefs and waiters went about their work.

"A favor? Go on."

Sun Jian's attention was still mostly on his cooking, but he lent his favorite waitress his ear anyway.

"Well, I know I haven't been working here all that long- but I was wondering if I could ask for a waitress job for my sister, Sir. My younger sister," Da was able to say without interrupting herself.

"Your younger sister, is it? Let me see, let me see... How old is she?"

"Seventeen, sir. She'll be eighteen before long," Da had her answer ready.

"Hmm," Chef Sun considered as he shelled scallops with a speed and skill few others possessed.

Da waited on tenterhooks.

"I suppose I could use another waitress..."- Da's spirits soared- "...Over by the new ice-cream shop next door. Or, maid-café, I should say. You know the one I just had opened up, don't you?"

"The ice-cream shop?" Da had repeated, with a sinking feeling.

"Yes," Chef Sun replied, looking up to face her for the first time. "Would that be a problem?"

"Oh, no, not a problem at all," Da had assured him, her face still heavy. "It's just that... she and I were actually hoping... well, we had our hearts set on working in the restaurant, together."

Sun Jian's brow had then cleared.

"Ah, so I see." He had straightened up, mopping his gloved hands with a towel as he surveyed her.

"You see, Da, as desirable as that may be," he went on to explain. "Unfortunately, I'm already bringing in new help for this place. By the end of the month, we'll have included several new staff members into the restaurant, and I feel as though I have enough people working for me here as it is. I've started having to turn people away. On the other hand, I believe the maid-cafe could use more help as it's just opened recently. It's also a small enough place, so your sister shouldn't have much trouble managing it. And it's right next door. She would be permitted to visit you anytime during her breaks, of course."

"Yes," said Da, thinking over this, some of her disappointment lifting. "Yes, I'm sure she would love that, then," Da had said more decidedly, and was able to look up at him with a smile. "Thank you so much, Chief! She won't disappoint you, I promise."

"Excellent. So I'm assuming it's settled then? Good," Sun Jian smiled at Da' eager nodding. "Well then, I'll need to have her in for measurements for her uniform next week, and there'll be a training session the day before she's allowed to start. So, allowing time for the uniform...She can begin, let's say, in about two to three weeks?"

"That'll be perfect," Da had answered, her excitement for her sister mounting. "Thanks again!"

Da sighed a bit as she recalled what had happened. Xiao wouldn't be thrilled that they couldn't work side-by-side either, but she too would eventually see that the situation was much better than it could have been. They'd still be working very closely, and on practically the same tasks. No doubt she'd be in and out of here regularly, hanging out with Da and making her day just a little brighter as usual. Da couldn't suppress a smile as she anticipated it.

"Hey," came a familiar voice.

Da blinked and turned; there was Xun at her shoulder.

"Oh, hi Xun," she said, happy that he'd come over to lend a hand with the tables.

"What's up? You seemed a bit spaced out there," Xun chuckled as he laid down forks and knives.

"Oh, it's nothing," Da laughed. "Just thinking about how it'll be when Xiao starts working next door. I asked the Chief about it today, and he gave her a job at the maid-café!"

"Hey, congrats!"

"Thank you!" Da said, beaming, feeling just a little foolish since it was Xiao who'd gotten the job, not her.

"Oh, speaking of asking the Chief for jobs. Guess who asked if he could start waiting tables with you next week?"

"You? Xun, that's great!" Da said, genuinely happy he'd meant what he said that Monday. "I really hope that works out. If you get to help, we'd have no trouble managing the place."

"No trouble at all," Xun agreed, more pleased with her reaction than he wanted to let on.

"And before I forget, thanks so much for helping Xiao with her classes everyday, Xun. I've no doubt she owes a good amount of her improvement to you."

Xun ducked his head, blushing slightly.

"Oh, that. It's no problem. Really."

Da laughed, and turned to set another table. Several feet away, Ai and Suyuan were contentedly chatting together as they helped each other set one of their own.

"I only hope she keeps this up when you're off to college next year. There aren't as many good influences around in high school as I'd like her to have, you know? You're one of her last."

"She'll be fine," Xun reassured her. "She just needs to stay focused. And stay away from people like_ them_," he muttered the last line, throwing a dirty look in Ai and Suyuan's direction.

Da couldn't suppress a snort at his contempt.

"You'll never quit, will you."

Shaking her head, she moved on to the next table. She actually liked what she was assigned to do at the moment- arranging plates and cutlery accordingly, carefully placing single roses in ornate glass vases in the middle of the table, fanning out scarlet napkins at every seat just so, making sure everything was perfect. She was very pleased with overall effect as she laid the finishing touches.

"The Chief's son is looking at you."

Da's head snapped up, and her face prickled with the familiar feeling of blood rushing to her face.

Much further away, at the entrance to the restaurant, stood Sun Ce, his arms folded, talking to one of the waiters. When had he arrived-? She certainly hadn't seen him... Nonetheless, Da breathed deeply, relieved.

"He isn't," she said, annoyed at Xun for making her worry.

"He was," Xun insisted. "He looked at you for about a second or two while they were talking."

"Well, he isn't now," Da said, nonplussed. "And he couldn't have been standing there long, anyway."

"He's been coming around here a lot more often lately," Xun noted, still watching him. "Why do you think that is?"

"Maybe the Chief needed him?" Da suggested, also inexplicably staring at him. Thankfully, Ai and Suyuan were now squabbling over a pair of fake eyelashes, and hadn't noticed him yet.

Ce then looked up from the conversation he'd been having with the waiter, spotted Da, and smiled at her.

Da smiled back, her heart beginning to pound again, much to her chagrin.

"He smiles at you a lot, too," Xun went on, his eyebrows slightly creased. "It looks like he likes paying you attention."

"Don't be silly," Da managed to say, her cheeks prickling. "He smiles at everybody."

"Not as much as he does at you," Xun pressed.

Still watching her, Ce waved at Da.

She waved back at once, before he had even finished.

Xun scoffed a little at her enthusiasm.

"Well, you sure are different when he's around. Da, you might want to be careful."

"What do you mean?" she asked, still watching Ce, praying he didn't come over.

"Well, you know. Has he been showing a... an interest in you after you first met?"

"We've talked a few times since then," Da answered truthfully, wondering where this was headed. She still couldn't believe they had. The last time he'd talked to her was a few days ago, when he'd caught her behind the counter. They hadn't spoken as much as they had that Monday morning- he'd greeted her, she'd stammered her hello, and the whole thing went down pretty much the way she'd feared- her being too nervous to say too much, and him informing her about the changes in staff the restaurant was expecting. At the end of it, he'd cheerfully bade her goodbye, while she'd watched him leave, hating how she could never match the comfort level he possessed while speaking to her- or to anyone for that matter. She still couldn't figure out why he liked talking to her so much, either. But, she'd be lying to herself if she said she wasn't even a little proud of that, albeit more baffled by it. It almost felt like an accomplishment, that someone as popular as him enjoyed her company as much as he disdained Ai and Suyuan's...

"I'm just warning you, Da," Xun's voice echoed, calling her back to earth. "You never really know exactly what someone's thinking. So, are you going to go talk to him?"

Da took a deep breath, clearing her mind.

"Well," she said briskly, "no sense in worrying about any of that now. We still have work to do. If he wants to come talk to us, he will."

Da knew that, at least, that part was true.

The two of them went back to arranging tables.

"So," Xun said presently. He cleared his throat, as though having rehearsed this. "My birthday's next week. My eighteenth birthday."

"Yes, I remember," Da said, turning to smile at him kindly. "It's a big one! What would you like?"

"Oh, I'm not asking for a present," Xun said immediately, looking taken aback. He was embarrassed, and hoped this wasn't how Da thought of him- insensitive enough to ask her for gifts when he knew how much she had to struggle to stay on top of things every day.

"I was actually just wondering," he went on with a curious air of attempted bravery, failing to notice one of his napkins fall to the floor, "Instead of having a party, I was going to ask you-"

_"Ouch!"_

In his nervousness, Xun had kept his eyes pointed to his shoes and hadn't seen Da stoop under the table to pick up his discarded napkin. The very loud _thump _accompanied by the clattering of cutlery that sounded right before Da's cry of pain told him just what had happened while he'd neglected to watch.

"Oh, no- I'm sorry, Da, I wasn't- are you-"

"Don't worry about it, Xun-" Da felt like such a fool as, to her horror, tears sprang into her eyes from the pain. Her vision blurred, she was feeling quite dizzy as she struggled to stand up straight, clutching her head. "I'm all right, I'll-"

"_Ooof_. That looked like it hurt. You okay?" came an all-too familiar voice, only heightening Da's mortification at her clumsiness.

_Please, please, don't let it be him..._

Da blinked up to see Ce kneeling by her in concern. Of course. She had to suppress a groan. Why did she always make such a fool out of herself in front of him, of all people?

Without warning, he placed both his hands onto her head and started rubbing the area she'd been holding with his fingers. Da was too hurt and stunned to protest, although she was rather taken aback at his actions.

Xun stood, rooted to the spot with guilt, also baffled at what Ce was doing.

"This isn't that bad. Think you could get her some ice?" Ce asked, turning his head to Xun.

"Of course," Xun said quickly, relieved that he could be of some help, and he was off to the kitchens.

Da sat there in shame, unable to budge as Ce continued to massage her aching scalp, her hands limp in her lap.

"This making it any better?" Ce asked softly.

The correct answer would have been 'yes', because it was true, and Da opened her mouth to say it, but something else came out instead.

"This is so embarrassing," she muttered, keeping her eyes cast down as the color in her face rose.

"What's to be embarrassed about? It happens to everyone. I can't even count how many times it's happened to me at the construction sites," he said matter-of-factly.

"Yes, but this job isn't supposed to be as dangerous," said poor Da, still refusing to look up.

"Well, you can't be as perfect as you are all the time," Ce said, smiling. "And it's not as bad as you think. I'm sure it must have hurt, but you'll just have a small lump. If at all."

Unable to say anything, Da merely gave a slight nod. Several seconds passed in silence. Then-

"You don't feel overworked... Do you?" Ce asked, surprising her.

Da did look up to face him then. She instantly regretted it as she was met with his transfixing silver eyes.

"N-No, not at all," she answered, inwardly kicking herself at her renewed stammers. She tried to amend it by adding more. "Your father's so kind to me. He forces me to take breaks if he thinks I'm tired, and he even got my sister a job today, although he's never met her. And Xun just might switch from being a waiter soon enough, so I'll have even less work to do."

"Would you like that? Working with him?"

Da hesitated before responding. She hadn't thought about it from that angle before.

"Um... actually, I would," she said slowly. "Xun and I've been friends for a long time. I think I'd love us working together. It would be like high school again."

Ce smiled, still rubbing his hands into her crown. It felt nice, Da noted. Very... pleasant. Her cheeks burned brighter, and she was thankful he couldn't see them.

"I'll talk to Pop about it, then. Make sure he hires a new bartender. And anytime you think you need more help, let me know. I'll pass it on."

Da stared up at him in amazement.

"You... you will?"

"Sure. I've even put in the word to get a new sommelier. You should be meeting him in about two weeks; he happens to be someone I know to be perfect for the job-"

"Oh! You're a good person!" Da exclaimed, clasping her hands together and taking Ce by surprise. "You really are, you know. I didn't know you were so nice. Xun, guess what?" she called, spotting Xun approaching them with ice in his hands, "Ce's going to talk to Chef Sun about you switching over!"

"Really?" asked Xun, his eyes wide as he looked from Ce to Da. "Hey, that would be great! Ce, thanks!" Xun declared gratefully.

Ce was still mildly stunned at how suddenly Da's demeanor had changed. He blinked a few times, then his face broke into his usual smile.

"No problem, bud," he said comfortably, turning to Xun. "Anything to make your lives just a bit easier." He held out his fist for Xun to pound.

"Now, here we go," Ce muttered, taking the ice cubes from Xun and wrapping them up in a napkin. He pressed the wad against her head. "Hold it there for a while. It should be better in no time."

Da nodded, not able to take her eyes off his face, the kindness in his eyes.

_He's so nice to me... I wish he was around more often. Working would be so much more fun._

He removed his other hand from her soft, glossy head. Strangely, he didn't exactly enjoy the absence of her hair from his palm. It was wonderfully silky to the touch.

"It feels much better already," Da said gratefully, doing as he said. "I'm... I'm glad you were here, Ce," she mumbled, surprising herself by her admission.

"It was my pleasure," Ce replied, standing with his hands in his pockets as he watched Xun help her up.

Before Da could thank him, the tinkling sound of the bell distracted the three of them.

Turning their heads, they beheld the first customers of the evening walk into the restaurant.

Da sighed.

_Here it comes._

"Well, I guess it's dinner time," Ce said, watching the family be greeted. "Meaning those two waitress-friends of yours should be back out in no time. I gotta split before that happens."

Da and Xun laughed. If only he weren't right about that.

"Seeya, guys," Ce called to them as he swung back the doors, grinning at the two of them. "And don't you work too hard!" he added to Da, before he was gone.

Xun watched after him, a small smile on his face. He turned to Da.

"Well," he said sheepishly, with the air of someone who had to eat his own words. "Maybe he's not a bad guy after all."

Da laughed sweetly, amused at Xun's change of heart.

"No," she agreed, remembering how gentle and concerned he had been. "I'd say he's not."

* * *

Four and a half hours later, Da Qiao was near-enough furious with herself.

Everything at the restaurant had mercifully gone well. She'd been feeling very happy with her work that evening, and didn't remember having to serve even one dissatisfied customer. She could have gone home right afterwards, feeling pleased with herself this way. But of course, she always had to do the one thing that ruined her day.

For after she'd seen off the last customer, and they began preparing to close for the night, the Chef summoned them all to the kitchen.

"Right," Sun Jian had begun briskly. "Good work, everyone. Before you leave, however, I wanted to ask you for a favor. As I mentioned earlier, the cleaners won't be coming tonight. Instead, they'll get here first thing tomorrow. Something about a last-minute wedding summons, I believe. Well, while that's all fine with me, there's just one thing I'm bothered about. I like to get here in the morning with nicely-scrubbed, shiny utensils to work with for breakfast. Without that, my heart's just not in my cooking. So, just out of particularity, I'd hoped some of you wouldn't mind staying behind to take care of those for me."

He paused, taking in their tired faces.

"It shouldn't take too long, the more of you there are- they just need sticking into the dishwasher, some polishing, and then re-stacking in the cupboards," he went on. "I've prepared a nice bonus for anyone who volunteers, if you'd like to make some extra money. You can split it between yourselves. I can live without this, you understand- none of you is obliged to do it. It's just that I'd_ rather_ you do this than not. So. Any volunteers?"

Everyone exchanged uncertain glances at each other, not looking too eager to step up to the plate. Most of them just wanted to go home.

Sun Jian sighed.

"Well, then-"

"I'll do it," Da blurted out.

She stepped forward.

"I don't mind, Chef. I'll do it."

Sun Jian eyed her, a little worried.

"Are you sure, Da Qiao?"

"Yes," Da said, though she couldn't for the life of her understand _why_ the thought of turning down a favor for the Chef after he'd so graciously given Xiao a job was _this_ unbearable to her.

"Well," Sun Jian said gravely, looking among the rest of his employees. "Anyone else?"

The assembled people mumbled amongst themselves. It didn't seem like anyone else was going to volunteer. Xun had already left for home, since there hadn't been much business at the bar as usual. As a result, he'd closed up early. Otherwise, Sun Jian was sure he'd have stepped forward to help his friend. He felt somewhat uneasy at leaving the young girl behind to do the job herself. He almost regretted asking for someone to even do it. He should have seen this coming... but Da looked adamant.

He sighed in defeat. He hoped she had a ride.

"If you're sure, Da," he relented. "Thank you very much. I'll include the entire bonus in your next paycheck. Here are a spare set of keys. Make sure to lock up on your way out, all right?"

"Yes, Chef," Da had answered, and proceeded to begin the task once everyone had left the restaurant. It wasn't a hard job, but she did have a few qualms about staying behind all alone. Still, it was worth it. She almost felt like she was paying the Chief back for being so generous to her about Xiao.

Only now, half an hour later, she wished she hadn't agreed to do it.

For the moment Da locked the doors behind her and stepped out of the doorway, a crack of thunder resounded in the sky, and rain began pouring from the clouds and onto the streets.

"Oh _no_," she'd moaned, stepping back into the doorway at once, her back against the wood. She watched the rain in dismay. It was no gentle shower, that was for sure. She hadn't brought an umbrella.

_How am I going to get home now...?_

So here she was now, still watching the downpour and praying for a sign of its lifting. She sighed, doing her best to keep it together. How long had she been standing here-? Her legs seemed to have turned to lead.

Shuddering, she let herself sink along the door and onto the ground, protected from the rain by the overhanging ledge. She sat hugging her legs, her chin atop her knees. She was miserable. How much longer would she have to wait? If only she hadn't volunteered to clean up before leaving-! She would have been home by now, instead of sitting out her, cold and alone. Her poor father. Poor Xiao. They were probably worried sick.

_Well. I'll just wait for it to clear up. It can't take too long... right?_

She sighed again, and shut her eyes, trying to keep from crying. If only she could just disappear... If only this were all just a dream...

"Da?" came an incredulous voice.

Da's eyes snapped open. Hardly daring to believe it, she looked up, squinting in the rain. Her heart stopped.

Sun Ce stood a few feet away, underneath an big black umbrella. He looked as surprised as he'd sounded.

"Ce?" she said in disbelief, once again mortified that he'd had to see her this way. Could the ground open up and swallow her already? "W-What are you doing here?" she stammered the only thing she could think of.

"I left something in the stockroom." He was still watching her with incredulity etched in his features. "More importantly, what are_ you_ doing here? Does Pop know about this?"

"Actually..." Da explained to him about her agreeing to stay behind for the dishes. "...and I didn't have the heart to say no," she finished.

Ce exhaled.

"I'm gonna have to have a word with my old man later. He's got to be able to live without things being just so, if this is what happens... Why are you still out here though? It's dangerous this late, Da."

"I don't have an umbrella."

"But couldn't you call a cab?"

Da turned her face to the ground and blushed.

"I don't have a phone, either," she admitted.

Ce's face softened a bit. He looked at her with sympathy.

"Well, what d'you plan on doing now?" he asked, not unkindly.

Da looked up at him helplessly.

"Wait it out, I guess. Even rain's got to stop sometime, right?" she made an attempt to laugh easily.

Ce didn't laugh with her. In fact, his face looked almost upset.

"It's not supposed to let up until morning."

"Oh," Da said, her heart sinking at his words. Well, that wasn't hard to believe, with her luck. A lump came to her throat. She didn't know what else to say. She went back to gazing at the ground, a hot, prickly feeling in the corners of her eyes. The continuous pitter-patter of the rain drops as they splashed against the pavement wasn't making things any easier for her.

"You know," he said gently. "I have an umbrella. And I've got time."

Da looked up to face him again, open-mouthed. Was Ce saying what she thought he was saying?

He smiled at her.

"I'll walk you home."

Da's heart leaped to her throat.

"Um... a-are you..."

"Sure? Quite. As long as you're okay with it."

Da swallowed hard. A strange feeling came over her as she looked Ce over properly for the first time that night.

He was easily over six feet tall. She was barely five-foot-four herself. His body was muscular and built, while still managing to look shapely. She was lithe and fragile as a lily. Even in the darkness, even through the rain, she could discern just how handsome he was, made all the more attractive by his concern for her. Why would someone like _him_ want to walk someone like _her_ home? Especially at so late an hour?

He was waiting for an answer patiently. How could she refuse-? He'd offered so kindly, and God knew she needed it. Besides, she didn't want to have wasted all his time out here for nothing.

"I... I guess that would be really helpful of you. I'd like that very much, please."

Ce's face relaxed.

"Well, come right over, then," he replied, gesturing to under the umbrella.

Feeling slightly trapped, Da hopped off the steps to the restaurant and hurried over beside him, taking care not to get too splattered by the rain.

"Where to?" he asked.

Nervously, Da told him her address, and the two of them set off.

They walked together in silence, his umbrella shielding them from the pouring rain. Da wrapped her arms around herself, mostly to keep warm, her face still somehow as scarlet as ever. Walking with someone alone in the rain at night was quite an intimate thing to do, it seemed. She wasn't losing any of her nervousness. Da tried to remember the last time a boy had walked her home, even though she knew she didn't have to. Because she knew the answer- this was the very first time. She'd never had a boyfriend. Schoolwork and responsibilities had made it nigh impossible for her.

By the time she was in college, she'd long stopped wanting one, didn't even want one badly in the first place. She didn't even know if she had any admirers, so this was naturally the first time she was walking home with a boy- one whom most girls would have adored to have as an admirer. She wished it could have been someone other than Ce, whose very presence made her as shy as it did, or she wished the circumstances had been different- that he didn't feel obliged to see her home because she'd just been inconvenienced by staying late and cleaning up his father's dishes.

By-and-by, she chanced a glance at him.

He was closer to her than she'd thought, looking straight ahead. She was uncomfortably aware that his bare arm was hardly an inch of her own sleeve. And she couldn't shift away because then she'd be drenched. She was stuck under the umbrella with Ce until they got home.

Then, a chill of dread began to creep over her. Although he had retracted it earlier, Xun's warning rang in her ears.

_"You never really know what someone's thinking..." "Da, you might want to be careful..."_

She gulped, not knowing what to think after this. It was true, after all, wasn't it? For all that Ce might be the nicest person she'd met, she really didn't know him all that well. And that wasn't a good thing considering she'd just agreed to let him walk her home. Her arms tightened around herself. For once, Ce had nothing to say. Could he sense her discomfort, her uncertainty? If he could, she was ashamed of letting it show... but what else was she to do? Just the fact that he was also at a loss for words proved how bad of an idea this was. They were all alone, this wasn't something she was used to, and she wasn't sure how she was to behave.

Who was doing whom the favor?

Da kept her eyes trained to her feet as they continued walking. Her proximity to him enabled her to feel the warmth radiating from his body. She even caught a small, sudden whiff of his scent. It smelled strongly of cinnamon, of pine. Absently, Da found herself wondering if he'd ever walked another girl home like this, if the other girl had felt his warmth without touching him, breathed him in without smelling him...

She shook her head clear of such thoughts at once, disgusted with herself. Where had _those_ thoughts come from! She didn't like them, not one bit. She resolved for the rest of the walk to keep her eyes from him. She looked over to the side instead, wishing this walk could be over, wishing she didn't have to endure this for any longer. This shouldn't have happened.

But how was she to know? He'd just been trying to be nice. But she didn't think, after this unbearable silent, cold episode, that they could go back to being the way they'd been. Friendly, casual acquaintances. Chatting and listening politely about one thing and the other. Right before her eyes, she saw the camaraderie, as she knew it, pass her by. Her heart sank, and she swallowed as she accepted this new reality.

After what seemed like eons, they finally reached her house.

Da stepped out from under the umbrella only too gladly and onto the steps of her front porch.

Once at her door, she turned around to face him, uncertainly.

Ce looked hesitant himself, unsure of whether or not to meet her eyes. Looking at him told her all she'd been suspecting; in a way, all she'd been dreading. It was clear in his eyes that Ce, too, was aware of it: something had broken between them.

He raised his silver eyes to her gray ones at last.

"Well. Here you are," he said in a low voice.

Da inclined her head slightly. Ce waited. She didn't offer any more words, as he'd expected, it seemed.

He nodded, as though his work here was done, and there was no point in staying around to chat.

"Alright, then. Good night, Da."

"Good night."

He turned on his heel to leave. Suddenly, he stopped. He turned back around, a strange, transformed look in his eyes as he gazed at her.

"You're-" he began, then apparently, decided against it.

Abruptly, he turned back and continued to walk away, vanishing into the rain within a minute.

Da realized she'd been holding her breath. She released it now. She shut her eyes, frowning. She wanted to know what he'd been about to tell her, but was almost glad he hadn't finished. She wasn't sure if she could handle a conversation with him right now. What would she do the next time she saw him at the restaurant? She took a deep breath, and suddenly smelled pine. Her body gave a twitch. She shook her head, and found herself wishing that none of that had happened; that Ce had never found her, that he had never walked her home.

It had just been too much, too soon for her to bear with anybody. And it being with Ce, well, it naturally ought to have shaken her up most of all.

She hoped he harbored her no ill-will for her rudeness. But that was pretty much all she hoped concerning Sun Ce now.

Turning back, Da Qiao turned the door-knob, walked into her house, and proceeded to reassure an anxious Qiao Xuan and a tearful Xiao Qiao that she was quite all right, the nice young man whose father was her boss had seen that she'd reached home safely.

* * *

_And that's the end of that chapter! Sorry to leave you guys on such a... sour note, I guess! But I hope you guys can understand how Da is feeling- this is all very, very new to her, and she wasn't sure she liked it, or even how to handle it for that matter. It doesn't have anything to do with how much she's come to appreciate Ce. And Ce, being perceptive as he is, picked up on that and could only reciprocate whatever Da was giving him- anything else would have been inappropriate. I hope you liked this chapter, even though you may not have liked the end. I'm sure it wasn't what most of you expected- all I can say is, there's much more to come, so never fear!_

_Please do remember to review. I'm very curious to know what you guys think about this chapter in particular! The next chapter should be up soon (hopefully), so stay tuned. If you have any questions about any part of this story whatsoever (like why I wanted Xiao to work in a maid-cafe instead of at the restaurant, though you can probably figure that out lol) feel free to PM me or include the question in your review. See you with the next update!_


	4. The One Who Was There

_Well, after less than two weeks, I am back with a new chapter! I must say, I'm very pleased with how nicely this story's doing. I was initially afraid that you all would want to kill me after the ending of the last chapter, but surprisingly everyone received it really well! So to thank you all, I've updated :). Again, I don't have very much to say other than thank you for all the great reviews! I hope you all keep reading and enjoying this fanfic, because you're the reason I've been writing! _

_I also have a quick word about Da's uniform: as I said, all DLC outfits in this story are identical to the official costumes, except for one- while I adore Da's waitress uniform, the only things about it I dislike are her shoes- I personally think they're very unattractive, and that a restaurant like Sun & Sons ought to dress their waitresses better. So, instead of wearing those awful black laced-up boots, Da wears pretty red (the same color as her skirt) close-toed flats, with the slightest of heels, and black stockings/pantyhose (not dark, but not see-through either). That's a huge improvement over the shoes they put her in before, in my opinion! Hope you can all agree :)._

_So now, for the sake of keeping this A/N brief enough, I give you Chapter 4!_

_Enjoy._

* * *

The next Friday rolled around, and Da Qiao and Lu Xun arrived at Sun & Son's to begin their evening shifts, chatting as they always did. The restaurant was empty as it normally was right before service, but they were both taken aback to see a girl sitting in Xun's usual spot at the bar. Upon catching sight of them approaching, the girl grinned widely, and waved them both over in excitement.

"Hi!" she exclaimed, in a clear, high voice, jumping to her feet. "You must be Xun. The old bartender."

"Uh... _old_ bartender?" Xun said nervously, glancing at Da. Da shook her head in response, as confused as he was. "Am I fired?"

The girl's laugh bubbled up with the delightful quality of a baby's.

"No, no, of course not! You're just transferring over to the restaurant section now. Just like you wanted, right? That's why I'm here. I'm Shang Xiang. The new bartender!"

Shang Xiang's bright green eyes danced as she took in Xun and Da's surprised faces. She was already dressed in a black pencil-skirt and crimson vest wrapped over a long-sleeved white blouse with gold trimmings. She even had a bow-tie just like Xun's except it was black. Was this to be the new bartender uniform? If so, then it was definitely working, Da thought, pleased. It gave off the impression that Shang Xiang's style was tomboyish, while still managing to be feminine.

Xun's face had meanwhile broken into a smile.

"Wait, you mean the Chief's already decided? Ce really talked to him?" he asked, ecstatic.

"He sure did!" Shang Xiang answered, smiling back. "Everything's been taken care of. I've been begging Daddy to let me work here for years, but he's _never_ let me. He kept telling me I was too young, and even though I knew I wasn't, he still wouldn't budge. But when I heard he'd hired a bartender who wasn't even legal when he started working, I just about flipped. So, when Ce told him to let you be a waiter instead, he finally gave in and gave me the job instead! Isn't that awesome?!"

Da blinked several times at all the information Shang Xiang had just bombarded them with. _Daddy...?_

Xun voiced the question running through her head.

"Oh! So... you're the Chief's daughter?"

Shang Xiang nodded happily.

"Yep! Didn't I mention that? _Sun_ Shang Xiang. Oh well, now you know! I've told Daddy that this bar's going to do a whole lot better with _me_ at the helm. Oh, not that you weren't a good bartender or anything!" Shang Xiang amended hastily, her eyes widening. "I'm sure you were perfect. But everyone knows a young, attractive girl's the best thing a restaurant needs for its bar, don't you think? And since I'm eighteen now, people are going to be a whole lot more interested in visiting it," she finished confidently. "I can't wait to help the business here get even better!"

She laughed.

Xun and Da laughed along with her. As amusing and cocky as Shang Xiang's statements were, neither of them could deny that she was right. She _was_ a rather attractive addition to the bar- with her shapely legs, clear skin, and almost pixie-like features. Her auburn, chin-length hair might have looked awkward on most girls, but gave her an added quirk. Even her pointed chin and rounded-almond shaped green eyes gave off the impression that she was something of a dazzler; that her confidence was not unwarranted.

"That means you're Ce's sister," Xun was saying. Da's smile was wiped off her face as she realized what that meant. "Do you think you could thank him for me? He hasn't come around for a while."

Shang Xiang waved her hand easily.

"Oh, of course," she said, as though this wasn't even a necessary request. "I've been thanking him like a babbling idiot ever since Daddy relented, myself. I'm just so grateful to the person who asked him for it. He told me he did it because he thought it would help someone called Da Qiao out. I've been asking around for her since the moment I got here."

Da stiffened where she stood at her words.

But Xun, beaming widely, clapped her on the back and pushed her forward.

"Well, look no further!" he exclaimed. "This is Da Qiao, right here! Ce sure did us all a great turn, and all thanks to her." And he looked at her with such pride on his face, Da wished she could disappear.

_Come on, Xun... you know I haven't spoken to him in a week_, Da desperately willed Xun to hear. She held her breath, waiting.

Shang Xiang finally turned to look at her properly- and blinked, her eyes widening to their fullest and her mouth dropping open.

"_You're_ Da? Wow, you're _gorgeous_! No _wonder_ this place has been doing so well recently! I mean, it was great before, but now it's unbelievable! Daddy sure knows what he's doing... Has my big brother started hitting on you yet?"

"Um," said Da, in a small voice, shocked into stammers. "No..." was all she could say, her face reddening just to imagine it.

Shang Xiang sighed, looking disappointed.

"Oh, he wouldn't, I guess. I'm going to have to talk to him about it, in that case... Well, it was great meeting you two! I'm sure working together's going to be amazing."

Da managed to recover, and her face relaxed into a smile.

"It was so nice to meet you, too. Please let me know if you need anything."

"Sure thing!" Shang Xiang replied happily before bounding back to the bar.

Xun watched her go, smiling, before turning back to Da with shining eyes.

"Well, that's that!" he declared. "Looks like we can go get started, right?" He looked happier than ever to be free of the monotony that bar had him confined to for hours.

Da nodded, relieved.

"Let's go!"

They began setting up the tables as Xun chatted animatedly about how grateful he was and how great it was going to be working together now. Da nodded and laughed in all the right places, but was only half-listening.

She was more puzzled than anything. Why had Shang Xiang treated her so nicely? Did she not know anything about that Monday morning? More importantly, how had Ce still spoken to Chef Sun about what he'd promised her and Xun? After what had happened between them... she was certain he'd never want to be bothered with her again.

Da swallowed hard as the memory of what had happened several days earlier came back to her.

It was the Monday after Ce had walked her home in the rain, and Xun had shown up at work that morning, concerned.

"Hey, what happened to you Friday night?" he asked immediately after reaching her. "Your dad called my house three times... he said he was worried about you; that you hadn't shown up after work and nobody else knew where you were. He just about had to yank the phone from Xiao over and over, she kept trying to ask me herself."

"Oh, that," Da had tried to play it off nonchalantly. "It was nothing, really. Chef Sun just wanted someone to stay behind and clean some of the utensils because the cleaners weren't going to show up. So I volunteered, and it took about half an hour."

"Oh... so that's why you were late?" Xun asked frowning.

"Yes. Everything was okay, Xun. They were really worried, but I got home fine."

Xun nodded, seemingly satisfied.

"All right. Well, you should tell them next time! You know, borrow someone's phone or something. Anyway, I'd better get back to the bar. I still can't figure out why the Chief keeps it open in the mornings... See you later."

Da breathed a sigh of relief after he left, thankful that he hadn't grown suspicious. She went into the kitchens to fetch someone's order after a sous-chef called for her.

She was almost back out of the doors with the plates, when she caught sight of doors swinging open through the rectangular opening of the kitchen counter.

Sun Ce had walked into the restaurant, his hands in his pockets, looking around as though his eyes were trying to search someone out.

The gasp never quite made it out of Da's throat.

She instantly flattened herself against the kitchen doors so that he wouldn't see her, her heart racing and her breath quickening. Only one look at him had been enough to tell her that she was the one he was looking for.

_Please go_ _away_, she thought fervently. _I... I don't know what I'm supposed to say to you anymore._

Just remembering that walk in the rain made her weak at the knees. How close she'd had to be to him... How they'd been all alone... How frigid she'd been to him afterward and how her discomfort had made her wish she could take the entire night back... She couldn't handle any more reminders of that night.

Maybe if she stayed in the kitchen long enough, he would leave. Da latched onto that hope and waited. Three seconds later-

"Ce! Hey, you're back sooner than usual! How's it going?"

Da groaned in despair. Leave it to Xun to start liking Ce at the worst possible time.

She tried to keep from sinking to the floor. Any second now...

Sure enough, the door swung open and Xun entered the kitchen grinning, spotting Da crouched in the corner at once.

"Da, Ce's here for a bit! I told him I'd come get you. Wanna hang-"

"I'm kind of busy at the moment, Xun," Da said breathlessly, straightening up with the dishes still in her hands. "Tell him I haven't got time to talk."

Xun's face fell, a knot appearing in his brow.

"Wait a minute, Da, I thought Ce was our friend now," he said, taken aback. "I thought you'd want me to let you know if he-"

_Friend._

Xun continued to speak, but the word rankled in Da's mind. Other than Xun, there wasn't a single male in Da's life that she truly considered a friend. Chef Sun, perhaps, she coming to see as somewhat like a friend and mentor, but that was different. When it came to befriending a _boy_; someone her own age... Da had simply never had the time, the chance, or, if she was honest with herself, the courage. The only reason her and Xun had been able to get along so well was because they'd met years and years ago. He was practically a family friend by now. And even in high school, they'd been in most of their clubs together and enjoyed the same activities- such as studying in the library. That was why she usually had time for him. Moreover, he was younger than her. Nothing to be afraid of.

But when it came to Ce... Could she even call him her friend? What had he been to her these past few weeks? What was she to him that he would walk her home, come into his father's restaurant looking for her?

Da swallowed hard. She had to admit that there were a lot of ways she felt about Ce- especially at the moment. But whatever they were, friendship did not leap out at her.

"Why don't you want to talk to him? He's out there right now, waiting for-"

"_You_ go, Xun," Da managed to get out. She avoided his eyes. "Go and talk to him... don't let him wait long."

Xun was baffled.

"What's the matter, Da? Are you-"

"I'm fine," she insisted, finally looking up at him in hopes to prove it. "I just... I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone right now. Okay? I feel... a little sick."

Bewildered though she was making him, Da was thankful that Xun could sense that her last claim wasn't a lie.

"Well, if you're sure," Xun said, his brow clearing. "I'd better go rescue him before Ai and Suyuan see him, anyway. Later."

And he was gone. Da waited in the kitchen for a few more minutes with bated breath, straining her ears to catch what was being said outside.

"No, don't worry about it, Xun," she was able to catch. "I'll be on my way. You take care, alright?"

The defeat in his voice, the grimness of it... it made Da feel even worse. Yet she shut her eyes and stayed where she was until she heard the mahogany doors swing shut.

Reflecting on the memory, Da couldn't help but shudder. She had deliberately ignored Ce that morning, and he had known it. Ce didn't show up at Sun & Sons' the next day, or the day after that. On Thursday, Xun stuck his head out to peer through the window at the sound of an approaching van and glumly announced that it was Ce's younger brother who was making deliveries that day. The guilt ate away at Da, until she blocked her mind to it. What was done was done. She couldn't face Ce anymore, and she would just have to deal with losing him. But what exactly she had lost, she wasn't able to fathom.

However, now, she was forced dwell on something that was even more unfathomable. If she had really lost Ce, she wondered as she laid the tables with glass goblets and menus, then why had he carried through on his promise?

It was more troubling than she'd liked it to have been. Irresistibly, inexplicably, she thought back to the first conversation they had.

_'I like you,'_ he'd said. He had been smiling, his eyes had been twinkling.

_Do you? _Da wondered, a cloud over her brow, remembering the tone of his voice. _Do you still... like me, Ce?_

* * *

Four hours later, Da Qiao was locking up the doors with the first contented smile on her face in a week. Another successful Friday night at the restaurant. There was no more left to do, and Sun Jian had dismissed the staff with a hearty grin. His smile lingered on her the longest, and she knew why: She hadn't overworked herself at any point during service, but had kept up with orders at a perfect pace. Moreover, she and Xun had worked beautifully together, and not without several laughs to boot. Even Shang Xiang had attracted much more customers at than bar was used to, true to her word.

Da had even checked the weather forecast that day to make sure she didn't need to bring an umbrella, and was rewarded with a beautiful, light breeze and a clear night sky.

_I'm getting the hang of things,_ she allowed herself to think excitedly for the first time since she'd started working at Sun & Sons'.

She was getting the hang of things! It wasn't even that late, barely eleven o'clock. She'd reach home in less than twenty minutes, and finally get a good night's sleep before starting work tomorrow. Then, since her shift only lasted until early afternoon, she could get home with plenty of time to study for her upcoming tests. And then Xiao would begin work the following week, too, and that meant they could both leave for work together, whenever their shifts coincided. She would drop her sister off right next door, and meet Xun right afterwards to begin waiting tables. There would never be a dull moment at work anymore! And her father would be so proud of her, seeing how she was as much the role model to her sister as ever.

Maybe, just maybe, things were finally becoming the way she'd always dreamed they would...

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here," came a strange, husky voice.

Da whipped around, jerked out of her thoughts. She was surprised to see four tall figures standing before her. All of them were young men, probably their late teens from what she could discern in the darkness. And none were familiar. She'd never seen them around before... what could they be doing here at this hour? The restaurant was closed.

"I think we got ourselves a little lost waitress, fellas," said another drawling voice, presumably belonging to a man who was leaning against a wall. His statement was met with chuckles and murmurs.

"Oh, no," Da said, looking from one teen to the next, confused. "I'm not lost."

To her puzzlement, raucous laughs rang out from everyone gathered. They didn't sound friendly.

"She ain't lost, she says," jeered the one who'd first spoken, the man with the husky voice. "I guess that means we oughta scatter. What d'you say, guys?"

More laughs and jeers sounded. "Hell no!" called out a third voice in the midst of it.

Still sneering, the first teen then stepped out of the shadows, an excited look on his pale, sunken face as he looked Da up and down with greedy eyes. She stood stock-still at the door, unflinching, her big gray eyes warily trained on the man who was advancing on her.

"Hey. You're hotter than I thought," he almost rasped hungrily, to hoots and whistles of approvals. "They say they don't wanna scatter. So how's 'bout we make this real simple, and you come on with us? Huh? You like that?"

He was still several yards away when he inched closer to the steps, his grimy hand beginning to reach for her.

Da's back hit wood; her hands thumped once against the door only to remember that she'd locked it, and that the keys were already in her pockets. She could hardly believe that this was actually happening to her. Fear sliced through her as though by a sword.

"Leave me alone," Da said clearly and unblinking, finding her voice at last. She desperately tried to think of a way to get back inside the restaurant. But she knew she couldn't afford to turn her back on these boys for even a second. Unlocking the door was out of the question.

The approaching thug only laughed.

"A feisty one, guys," he snickered, licking his lips. "Just how I like 'em. Listen, doll, I ain't giving you a choice no more. Me and my boys don't get to see a chick like you every day now, do we boys?" he turned his head at the question, eliciting whoops and nods of assent. "That's why you're comin' with us. Got that?"

Da's breath caught in her throat, and her heart began beating wildly. Her fists clenched and she shrank closer against the door.

"No," she whispered, sweat beading on her forehead. "No, go away," she said, more loudly. "Go _away!_"

"Shh!" the first goon snapped at her, baring crooked teeth. He whipped his head around to make sure she hadn't been heard. He needn't have worried. There was no one there but the five of them.

"Shut up, or I'll let you have it. Move it, guys. Let's grab her and split."

All four of the thugs began advancing on Da, each of them with equally hungry looks pasted on their darkness-enshrouded faces.

"No," Da screamed, her breath quickening, filling her lungs. _"NO! GET AWAY FROM ME!" _she finally shrieked, as the goons broke into a sprint. She leaped down from the steps, intending to make a run for the corner, and, to her utter dismay, tripped over her long skirts, falling heavily onto her hands and knees. _  
_

_No, no NO!_

They would be upon her in the blink of an eye. She knew there was no more use in trying to flee. Blood pounding in her ears, tears starting in her eyes, Da buried her head in her arms, trying to give herself one last chance at protection.

_Oh, God, help me!_

She felt herself being bathed in a shadow as a large figure stepped in front of her.

She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the rough grabs, ready to slap whoever was the first to touch her.

Then-

"I'm pretty sure I just heard the lady tell you punks to back off."

Da's heart stopped, and her eyes fluttered open in spite of herself. Could this be happening-?

Hardly daring to believe it, Da slowly turned her head.

Sun Ce stood between Da and the young thugs, his massive form shielding her from their sight. His hands were balled into large fists by his sides, and he showed no signs of moving.

_C-Ce...?_

Blood rushed to Da's face, her breath coming back in shudders. Was she going to survive the night unscathed, after all?

The goons looked much less sure of themselves, much more wary. They hesitated, considering this new arrival. Ce had at least three inches on the tallest one of them. Not to mention their lanky, teenage bodies left much, much more to be desired than his muscular build. Still, they showed no signs of backing off.

"C'mon, bro," their leader muttered, sounding a lot less confident. But just as foul, just as desperate. "We're just tryna have some fun. C'mon, get away from the girl. We seen her first."

"If you had half a brain in your head, you'd leave now. Because there's no way in hell that that's happening."

Da watched, spellbound, her eyes wide with wonder and fear.

She couldn't see Ce's face. But his frame almost rippled with anger. His voice, familiar though it was, had never sounded anything like this. It had taken on a low, menacing quality, and she could practically hear the disgust, the pure rage dripping from it. It was barely recognizable from the voice that she knew- the voice that was always so easy-going, always full of suppressed laughs, as warm and pleasant as summer. If she had thought the goons' ringleader had sounded scary, she didn't know how to describe Ce.

The leader's black eyes narrowed.

"Oh, yeah?" he yelled, sounding like a twelve year-old who wasn't getting his way. "It is if I got something to say about it. Guys!" he barked. The other three thugs assembled around him, moving in towards Ce.

Da was back on her feet in an instant, fear gripping her mind. Her mind was a blur. What could she do? She stepped forward, but Ce didn't move. He stayed where he was, feet planted firmly in front of Da, making it impossible for any of them to get near her without encountering him first.

The leader lunged forward at Ce, his fist cocked.

Da gasped, her hands mechanically wrapping themselves around Ce's bare arm.

Then, so fast that Da could barely register what had happened, Ce knocked the goon's fist out of the way with one hand, seized the front of his shirt with the other and punched him in the mouth.

The sickening crunch of his nose echoed through the night. Everybody watching stiffened in place.

With Da hands still holding his arm, Ce yanked the kid up a few inches off the ground by his collar to face him.

"Listen, you little prick," he spat, "I'm not playing. If you or any of your shithead friends even come near this woman again, I'll kill you. Understand? And you can pass that onto anyone else you know who might want to hurt her. I said, _Understand?_" he shouted the last word.

"Yes," the kid choked, blood trickling down his face.

"Good," Ce growled, dropping him onto the ground.

The kid stumbled back to his friends at once, half-crawling, half-running. They took hold of him, one of them hoisting him up onto his shoulder. All of them goggled at Ce, unmoving.

A few seconds passed in silence.

Ce stamped his foot toward them threateningly, and they finally turned tail and ran off.

Da stood quite still, her hands still where they were when Ce punched her would-be attacker. She didn't want to move until Ce did.

Ce remained where he was, watching after the thugs fled. Although they were gone, he continued to stand there. It was only until after the last of their footsteps ebbed away that Ce slightly turned his head to look at Da at last.

"Did they touch you?" he said abruptly. His voice was still low, still constricted with anger.

Da shook her head at once, her eyes wide.

"Any of them?" he persisted.

More shaking of the head.

He nodded once, his jaw clenched.

Da had to register that it was quite frightening to see Ce like this. There was dark fury etched in his face, his usually twinkling silver eyes were fierce and blazing. Nonetheless, her hands didn't let go of him.

He was still watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"Let's go. They might still be around."

Without a further comment, the two of them set off for her house.

Da didn't ask him how he remembered the way. She didn't ask him to let her go home on her own. In fact, she didn't say anything. She just walked by him in silence.

It should have felt like deja-vu, since they had done this almost exactly the same way only a week ago. But it didn't. This time felt different. This time was entirely new.

This time, she could hear crickets chirping faintly in the distance along with their quiet footsteps. This time, she could feel a slight breeze in the air, gently tugging at her long straight locks. And, most significantly, this time, she had no fear. Because, just like last time, she had Ce. And that meant something completely different now than it had then.

Something terrible could have happened to her. Something she might never have been able to completely recover from. In all possibility, something awful might happen to her even now. But she knew it wouldn't. With Ce by her side, Da felt for the first time that night, indeed for the first time in a while, _safe_.

Da raised her eyes to steal a sideways glance at him, not once but many times. He continued gazing straight ahead, his jaw still set and his eyes steely. She was in a daze. She tried to imagine what would have happened if Ce hadn't appeared just in time. A tremor ran through her body. Such horrors that she'd heard happen to young girls like herself... And that could have been her tonight. The only reason it wasn't was Ce.

She stared at her feet as they walked, replaying that episode in her mind, which was still managing to make her sick. How lucky had she been, to escape such a fate... To have Sun Ce looking out for her... Absently, as she kept up with his pace, she noted how he wasn't walking as quickly as he normally did, with his usual comfortable strides. He was slower, walking just fast enough for her to be able to keep up with him.

And then she realized: when had Ce _not_ looked out for her? Every time they met, he seemed to give her something she could benefit from; do something that would make her life easier. From over-tipping her on the first day to soothing her pain when she'd bumped her head; from promising to help Xun switch over to wait tables with her to walking her home in the rain, Ce always been there when Da needed something- even when she had never asked for it in the first place. And after what had happened today, what he could have protected her from... it was more than anyone could even expect of someone. Ce, it turned out, had proved to be nothing but a blessing to Da time and time again. Whether it was an arm she'd needed or an umbrella, he had been there.

Gratitude rushed to Da's heart as though unleashed by a dam.

She thought of what he'd said, so purposefully, so unwaveringly to the thug before he let him go.

_'If any of you even comes near this woman again, I'll kill you.'_

What had Da done to deserve such a guardian? Such a... friend?

_Friend._

She turned her sheen-glazed eyes on him, and now, instead of flitting them away, she kept them there. She was in complete and utter awe of Ce and what he had done, and felt no shame in it. Even though he didn't seem to notice her watching him at all. Da still couldn't bring herself to say a word to him. But the fingers still clinging to his arm tightened in the slightest and did not let go for the rest of the walk.

They finally reached her home, and Da, very unwillingly, pried her hands loose from his arm at last.

Wordlessly, she walked the few steps up to her porch and turned around to face him from there for the second time in a week.

The anger had dissipated from Ce's face. His eyes no longer possessed that menacing, fiery look of rage. But his face, although tides calmer, was devoid of emotion as he looked at her.

_He thinks it's just like last time, _Da realized, a pang of shame submerging her. _He thinks that I'm uncomfortable again, that I wish he'd never walked me home._

She wished she could find the words to tell him it wasn't so. That nothing could be further from the truth.

"Well, make sure you don't leave the house tonight," Ce finally broke the silence. Da was relieved to hear something that sounded more like his normal voice again.

She gave a slight nod.

"You might want to lock your doors. Just to be safe."

Another nod of assent.

Ce surveyed for a few seconds, his arms folded. Then, as though satisfied, he nodded back. Abruptly, just as he had the week before, Ce turned and left.

Da watched him walk away, her heart beating as though it would break as she saw him leave.

And suddenly, it came to her- it came to her so clearly that it seemed like the most obvious thing in the world: Da couldn't let this end the way she knew it was going to.

Her face crumpling as she released all her pent-up breath, her hand outstretched, she leaped off her front porch, ran towards Ce and threw her arms around him.

"Ce, thank you," she gushed out from a completely stunned Ce's chest, tears breaking free and flowing down her face at last. "You saved me. If you hadn't been there tonight, I- I..."

Sobs overcame Da here, and she did her best to cry heartily without awakening the entire street.

"Da, it's alright," she heard Ce say in hushed, overwhelmed tones, after a few seconds of collecting himself. To her joy and relief, she felt his arms come up around her tentatively, one hand covering the side of her head that wasn't buried in his chest, the other resting on her upper back between her shoulder blades.

"Don't thank me for something like this," he continued softly over her sobs. "Anyone else in my place would have done the same..."

"But they didn't," Da breathed, her arms still fastened around his waist, never letting him go. "It wasn't anyone else who saved me, it was _you_. That's why you're the one I should be grateful for. You're the one I owe my-"

"Don't say it," Ce whispered, suddenly drawing her closer, as though out of urgency, his hand now gently caressing the side of her face. "Please, Da. Don't say that... nothing would have happened to you. I wouldn't have let it."

"But what if something had happened to _you?" _Da finally allowed herself to ask, opening her eyes but refusing to budge from Ce's torso, where everything was so warm, where everything smelled so inexplicably of fresh pine and the soothing scent of cinnamon. "What if you got hurt... all because of me?"

She heard the faint smile in Ce's voice, the one she hadn't realized she'd been missing so deeply until now.

"Da, there was nothing to worry about. There were only four of them."

She couldn't suppress a hiccup-like laugh.

_And only one of you_, she thought, wondering bizarrely if Ce would even have said anything different had there been ten of them.

Ce calmly stroked her silky head to comfort her, and she was suddenly overcome with emotion. How could she have ever tried to avoid _him_? How could she ever have wanted him out of her life?

"I'm so sorry, Ce," she burst out, with renewed sobs. "For what I did. You were nothing but nice to me that night and all I did was treat you coldly. I didn't mean to, Ce- I just... didn't know how to be." She dissolved into tears again, her arms tightening around him, wishing she could say more to show how truly sorry she was.

Ce actually laughed in wonder.

"You mean last week in the rain? Da, I forgot all about that. There's no need for you to-"

"And I'm sorry for how I was to you this past week," she continued, determined to tell him that she knew she was guilty. "I was just afraid... I just- I don't know how to explain it, Ce, but I never meant any of it. You've_ always_ been there to help me. Even though I never deserved any of it... I still _don't_ and instead of letting you know, I... I-"

"Enough, Da," Ce said firmly, taking hold of her quaking shoulders, his large hands almost covering them whole. "Please. I don't need to hear any more of this... I told you. You have nothing to apologize for. I'm just glad I was able to help you, any time I did."

"Then at least let me thank you," Da whispered, lifting her soaking wet face from his tear-stained wifebeater to meet his at last. "Please let me. You've done so much for me- and I realized I've never done a thing for you. Is there anything I can do to show you how-"

Ce's silver eyes had widened in disbelief, and he had begun shaking his head gently before Da had even finished her sentence.

"No, Da. I would never ask you for anything in return for doing what I was supposed to do."

He wiped the tears from her cheek with a smile.

"But I _want_ to. Ce, I _want_ to repay you," Da insisted, fresh tears filling her eyes. She mopped up her other cheek with the sleeve of her uniform, and clasped her hands together. "I'm not doing this out of obligation, Ce. There must be something- even something small I could do to make it up to you-"

Da couldn't explain why she was suddenly filled with the need to repay Ce. All she knew was that she could not walk away from Ce tonight- not without giving him some form of gratitude, some form of showing her immense appreciation of his kindness.

Ce continued to shake his head, his eyebrows raised and his mouth open to protest, but couldn't bring himself to interrupt her. Da's spirits soared, as she saw his resolve weakening.

_He's going to give in!_ she thought, thrilling. _  
_

"Da-" he began, but was cut off by Da's eager pleas.

Suddenly, he stopped trying to object. As silence fell, Ce focused his stare on Da fully for the first time that night.

It was amazing, how his gaze could look so deadly one minute, and so calming the next. It was almost as if he was scrutinizing her in the restaurant again, as he had done the first time they met, when she'd forced him to pay for his meal. And, just as before, Da didn't lower her gaze. A slight frown was on Ce's face, as though he was trying to figure her out. Da's heart skipped a beat as she stared back at him, and she felt so strange. He was so handsome... why did he always look at her as though he'd never seen anything like her? A familiar rush of blood surged to her face, and she felt her cheeks prickle for the first time in a week... What was it that Ce had? What was this that she could feel around him, and only him?

Ce leaned his head closer to her, only a little. As if he didn't want anyone but her to hear what he had to say. Although the frown had disappeared now, as it had that very first day, the curiosity had yet to leave his face.

Da raised her head higher, waiting on tenterhooks.

Almost absently, Ce reached out and gently took hold of one of the ribbons in her pigtails. Along with a few strands of her hair. She stared in surprise. His eyes softened as he looked into hers, his decision made.

"Let me take you out," he said quietly.

* * *

_Ewwwwwwwwwwwww, cliffhanger! Bad Jeejay! Heheheh, sorry folks, but this chapter's dragged on long enough and it looks like you're gonna have to wait for the next chapter to find out how Da reacts to what Ce just said! Let's hope it doesn't cause any more drama lol. Well, all I have left to say is, I hope you guys liked the chapter. Please review and let me know what you thought, especially of that terrifying episode with Da and those goons... I'm sure everyone's glad Ce showed up like the hero that he is, and I hope I did him justice! So, I'll see you guys with the next update- hopefully it'll come as quickly as this one.  
_

_Until next time!_


	5. If I Could Melt Your Heart

_This is going to be a long A/N! Because there are a few important things I'd like to explain in it, purely for your reading purposes. That's why I don't want to dilly-dally. Thank you all very much for your reviews, and..._

**_PLEASE, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING!_**

_There are going to be two Author's Notes within the chapter itself- simply because there are two songs featured in this chapter (one much more than the other) which I feel HAVE to be listened to in accompaniment to the reading. So, I'm going to cut into the story, just twice, to signal to you guys when I would you to start listening to these two songs, ESPECIALLY the latter. So I hope you'll be on the lookout for these A/Ns! Of course, this doesn't apply if your concentration is easily broken by things like this and if you think you read better without having music playing in the background. But if you don't have much of a problem with it, then I would greatly appreciate you searching up the songs on YouTube when the time comes. Because I firmly believe that this would give you a much better feel of what I'd like the mood and vibe of this chapter to be- I think it would almost be like watching a movie! _

_So please let me know if you did follow my request/instructions, and if you did, please let me know if they worked the way I wanted them to! But more on this in the Author's Note at the end of the chapter. For now, I'll just cut to the chase and give you Chapter 5!_

_-Enjoy._

* * *

The very next day, Da Qiao was waiting by the restaurant doors at noon, just as planned. She wasn't a second late. She had already stammered out her request of Chef Sun Jian- to allow her to take the last ten minutes of her shift off, so that she might have enough time to hurriedly change out of her waitress clothes, and so he had naturally dismissed her with a full thirty minutes to spare instead. As a result, she'd been waiting patiently with neatly clasped hands for a good short while, instead of breathless and out of sorts as she'd feared.

And she'd attempted more than once to suppress, or at least tone down the glowing smile on her face, before giving in to it every time. She decided at last that there was no beating it. That smile was there to stay.

_'I know you work weekends,'_ Sun Ce had told her the night before. _'I want to disturb your day as little as possible.'_

Any minute now, he would be here.

Da's smile threatened to take over her face.

As little as possible? For almost that whole night, she hadn't slept. Between fretting over what she was going to wear, excitedly anticipating how today was going to be, being surprised at her own daring to accept his request, and wondering again and again whether she'd done the right thing, she'd only managed to steal a few precious hours of rest.

But she didn't think she'd ever felt more awake in all her life.

Looking up, she saw the sun was high in the sky, bathing everything under it with a mild warmth. The slight cloudiness was indicative of the gentlest breezes that were to sweep throughout the day. Inwardly, Da congratulated herself on her choice of clothing.

She was dressed in a floaty white strapless sundress that ended just above the knee, and a semi-frilly shrug of cream pink with matching pink shoes that had bows on the front. Her hair, which was usually clasped into two shiny pigtails, was now left loose and flowing almost to her waist, with two slight wisps swept back from her temples and fastened at the back of her head in a pink ribbon.

It was just the sort of thing to wear in such lovely weather.

She only hoped a certain someone would agree. She squeezed her eyes shut for just a brief second.

_Please, please let him like me..._

And then, as was expected, her heart skipped a beat when she saw Sun Ce turn the corner.

The hands holding her purse tightened.

Spotting her waiting by Sun and Sons', Ce's face lit up. He made his way to her, and she had to remind herself that this was all about repaying him. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi," Da answered breathlessly, with pink cheeks.

"Wow, you look great," he declared, his eyes wide as he surveyed her. "I don't think I've ever seen you out of your waitress outfit."

Da blushed hard.

"Thank you," she whispered, praying her shyness wouldn't _completely_ get the better of her, at the very least.

He smiled.

"Ready to go?"

She nodded at once, and they set off on a leisurely walk together.

"It- it's not too much, is it?" Da asked anxiously, looking down at her dress. "Or... too little?"

"For where we're going?" Ce said, looking her over appreciatively. "I'd say it's perfect."

Da smiled, gratified. Then it suddenly occurred to her.

"Oh! Um... You... you also look very nice, Ce. I've only ever seen you in your uniform, too, I think."

Ce laughed.

"Call that a uniform? It's just something that doesn't get in our way."

He turned his twinkling eyes on her, and she laughed as well. But really, he _did_ look nice... He was wearing a long-sleeved white T-shirt, with a slight v-neck. It had just the right amount of tightness, so that it clung gently to his big arms but was still both form-fitting and loose enough around his torso. His scarlet trousers had been discarded in favor of a pair of blue jeans, and the heavy cleats had been swapped with sneakers.

However, he still had on a belt, albeit one that wasn't nearly as thick or bulky as the one he usually wore, and it was brown rather than black.

The band that held up his hair was still dark red, too.

Looking at him, Da could almost feel her heart begin to speed up. Realizing this, she darted her glance away at once.

"So... where are we going?" she asked after a few seconds, trying to mask her excitement.

"You'll see. I want it to be a surprise. Well, sort of."

His hands were comfortably in his pockets as they always were as he walked with his easy, loping strides.

"Oh," said Da, curiously. "All right."

She smiled at him, taking herself aback at her actions. A week ago, she couldn't look at him for blushing. Well, maybe that part was still true... but at least now she'd become a whole lot better at coming to terms with it.

Da soon became aware of the glances that they were receiving from multiple random passersby. To her surprise, she even recognized a few of them as being some of the more frequent customers she had waited on. Curiously enough, the further they got from the restaurant didn't seem to shake them off.

"Ce," Da whispered, inching closer to him. "They're all... staring."

Ce looked around and laughed when he saw what she said was true.

"'Course they are. They think a guy like me landed a girl like you, and none of them can wrap their heads around it."

Da stared up at him in wonder. He _couldn't_ really believe that, could he?

_Doesn't he know it's the other way around?_

"Well, here we are."

She blinked, startled. That had felt extremely quick... How long had they been walking for after they'd left the restaurant? Certainly not more than five minutes... right?

In any case, she hadn't even realized that they now stood before a fairly grand, attractive apartment complex topped with maroon roofs.

"Oh," she said, still blinking. "This place looks very... very nice. Who lives here?" she looked up at him inquisitively.

Ce's dimples made an appearance. He fished a set of keys out of his pockets.

"Me."

Da was too baffled to protest as he led the way inside the complex, and into his own apartment.

"Wow," Da breathed, gazing around his spacious apartment. "It's so... neat!"

Everything looked orderly and surprisingly, albeit a little more on the bare side, tasteful. There was a bookshelf in the living room, which was naturally the first thing she spotted. A thirty-two inch plasma-screen T.V hung on the wall. A sleek but comfortable looking black couch and matching armchairs were centered around a glass table and top of a big, plush looking leopard-spotted white rug. A tall silver lamp-stand by the wall. There was even a large scarlet punching-bag hanging in the corner, a polished ebony guitar case propped against it.

Ce smiled, pleased with her reaction.

"Yeah, I tidied up a bit for your visit. You should probably not go into my room right now, though. Listen, Da... about this... date thing."

"Yes?" Da said at once, turning to face him.

"Please don't feel like you have to-"

Da shook her head at once.

"It's not like that, I told you. I _want_ to be here. I really mean it."

Ce's brow furrowed slightly, but he didn't look mistrustful. In fact, he almost looked... hopeful.

"You do? Are you sure?"

Da nodded, smiling, and she realized that she really did. She turned back to the white walls, and gasped.

How could she not have noticed the framed paintings that were lined on it? Moving closer, she saw them... a painting of the picture she'd seen at the cash register of his family, Chef Sun giving his young second son a piggy-back ride, Ce's beautiful mother gazing into the setting sun with his silver eyes, a tiny Shang Xiang tickling a fluffy white kitten, and a pre-teen Ce with a boy Da had never seen before, their arms resting on each other's shoulders...

"Oh, my god," she said in a hushed voice. "You didn't do all of these... did you?"

She turned to look at him in awe, and was met with the bright flash of a camera going off.

Ce grinned at her startled expression, lowering the camera.

"Sorry about that. It's your first time in my apartment! I'd call that a special occasion, wouldn't you?"

Da looked at her feet shyly.

"Actually, it's my first time in... _any_ boy's apartment."

She peered back up at Ce, expecting him to be amused. Instead, his face had softened.

"Well, in that case I'm honored you chose mine to be the first. Anyway, I've got something planned. You hungry?"

"A little. But... how did you paint all those pictures? They're phenomenal!"

Ce laughed, evidently enjoying her admiration.

"I didn't have to do much. I just painted the photos we already had. I didn't just make these up, you know. In fact, I rarely do."

"Still, they're all so beautiful," Da remarked, following him into the adjoining door-less kitchen.

Upon entering, she noticed almost half-a-dozen grocery bags on the floor.

"Oh! Would you like me to help you put these away?" Da asked helpfully.

Ce turned to her and gave her an amused look.

"What I'd like you to do is sit down and relax while I make us some lunch."

"R-Really?" Da stammered, now properly in shock. "You can cook, too?"

_Who _are_ you?!_

"Sure I can," he laughed. "Whose son did you think I was, after all? I forgot to ask you what you liked to eat yesterday, so I just grabbed a bit of everything I expected. So, what'll it be?"

Da blinked several times, still not having completely absorbed everything she'd learned about him since arriving at the apartment complex.

Ce drew up a chair for her, still smiling. Collecting herself, Da sat down and watched as he began taking out ingredients.

"If you aren't gonna tell me, I'll just have to surprise you," he said, his back to her as he unloaded all the bags and pulled out utensils from the cupboard.

"That's perfectly okay with me," Da was finally able to say. She smiled. She actually liked that idea a whole lot better.

"This is good with you, right? I was thinking of taking you to a restaurant at first, but for some reason, I thought this would be nicer. Plus I doubt you'd want to be in any restaurant more than you already have to," he snickered.

Da laughed too.

"You were right. About this being better, I mean!" Da amended hurriedly. "Not... you know-"

But Ce laughed again, shaking his head.

"Da, you won't be offending me by saying you don't enjoy all the hours you have to put in at my father's restaurant. Everyone resents their job a little at some point, no matter how much they love their employer."

"Well," said Da, feeling gratified. "I suppose that's true."

A few seconds went by with Da thinking over something, a slight frown on her face.

"Ce," she said presently, "this is a really nice apartment."

"Thank you."

"I mean... being a construction worker must pay more than I thought."

"It doesn't," Ce chuckled, chopping up onions rapidly enough to make Da's eyes widen. "I started living here when I got my first job, fresh out of college. I've only been a construction worker for about six months."

"Oh! So... what kind of job was that?"

"Something business-related," Ce said, pleasantly enough, but in a tone that conveyed to Da that no more was to be said about the subject.

Da didn't ask any more questions.

"Hey, it got really quiet in here," Ce noted presently. He turned around, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. "Want some music?"

"Sure," Da said, eager to break the silence herself.

He left the kitchen and returned shortly with an iPod and audio player. Plugging the player in, he fitted in the iPod and set it to Shuffle.

Calvin Harris's_ I Need Your Love_ began playing at once, the sound of trance music filling up the relatively small kitchen.

**_(A/N: I strongly suggest listening to this song on YouTube from this point- until its part in the story is over of course!)_**

"Oh! I love this song!" Da said, before she could stop herself.

Ce turned from his work and grinned.

"No way."

"I'm serious! I can't get enough of it."

"Well, this is your lucky day," he declared, reaching over and putting it on loop, turning up the volume.

Da actually cried out in delight.

"Thank you!" she shouted over the song, jumping to her feet.

To Ce's obvious, utter surprise, she began dancing around the kitchen, pumping her fists in the air in time to the music. Ce's incredulous laugh was rendered inaudible due to the loudness.

"Are you sure you don't want me to help?" she hollered.

"Quite sure," he yelled back.

"Okay!" she called, and moved back into the living room, singing along to the song loudly, never ceasing her dancing. She didn't exactly know what had come over her- to dance to this song so brazenly when she knew that someone was watching. Normally, it was only ever Xiao Qiao whom she did this in front of, usually it was Xiao who even started it off. She couldn't explain it- it had just been so long since she'd had a break, so long since she'd cut loose. Actually, she doubted she'd _ever_ cut loose... but she'd almost forgotten what having pure, real fun was like.

And now she _was_ having fun. And regardless of whether Ce was there or not, she was dancing. She was so glad she'd agreed to this. She wouldn't have done anything differently if she'd had the chance to answer his request again.

_I should repay him more often._

A delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen. Whatever Ce was cooking, it was in the oven now.

As she'd expected, Ce appeared at her shoulder. His eyes were twinkling at her. She twirled around on her foot, and he laughed.

"Want to help me clean up?" he shouted.

"Sure!"

They both began washing utensils and tidying up in time to the music, dance-like, singing at the top of their lungs, Ce forbidding her from looking in the oven.

He swiftly tossed her salt shakers and spoons from all directions, and she caught them all beautifully.

"You're amazing at this," he yelled.

"I was the baton-twirler in high school! Marching band."

"You're kidding!"

"You'd never guess, right?! I was in choir, too. Chambers Ensemble."

"Is there anything you can't do?"

Da laughed out loud.

"Me?! Is there anything _you_ can't do?! You're like Superman!"

Ce's hearty laughter rang throughout the whole apartment, his head thrown back.

Da stopped dancing and watched him laugh, pleased, her face flushed.

Right now, she realized, there was no place she'd rather be.

* * *

They ate cut-up foot-long cheese-steak sandwiches on the balcony landing outside, sitting on long comfortable deckchairs and watching the sun.

Da had never tasted anything like them. They were crunchy and moist, rich with flavor, spicy and sweet, and juicy in texture. She wondered absently why Ce didn't take up a job as a sous-chef at Sun & Sons. At least she'd have been able to see him more.

"It is good?"

"It's delicious," Da said sincerely, turning to smile at him. She sat with her plate on her lap, her shoes discarded to the side for the time being.

"So. Baton-twirler, huh?"

Da giggled shyly.

"I had to have more extra-curriculars. After all, I needed every scholarship I could get."

"Well, that makes sense," Ce mused, looking into the sun, his eyes appearing almost golden like his father's. "How come you never continued any of that in college? Like choir?"

Da looked down at her knees, pondering his question.

"Well... I just ran out of time for those things. Schoolwork took priority, you know?"

Ce nodded, understanding. But Da somehow felt the need to go on.

"I was like that in high school, too. I mostly kept to myself. My sister Xiao isn't like that, though. She's a cheerleader, and she goes out with friends a lot of the time. Xun could tell you... I was usually in the library. I never really had the chance to go out much... I still don't... And I had this really strange, unpredictable shyness of men."

Ce looked sideways at her, his eyes twinkling.

"Men?"

Da's lips twitched.

"Only certain kinds of men."

"Oh? And what kind would that be?"

Da giggled again, surprising herself. When was the last time she _giggled?_

"Well... I was starting to think it was men like _you_. But then I realized..."

"You realized what?" he asked softly.

Da raised her eyes to him, looking at him through lower lashes.

"_No one's_ like you."

Ce's gaze grew warm.

The color rose in Da's cheeks, and she quickly looked away.

"I just... wanted you to know again," she said not without a little difficulty, "how amazing I think what you did for me yesterday was. It's the best thing anyone's ever done..."

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat. A million times over."

The tenderness in his voice, the honesty... it was just so overwhelming, she had to lower her eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered.

She drew up her knees to her chest, holding them close to her.

"I've never really had anyone look out for me other than my family," she confessed. "Ever since my mother died, I became the one who had to fill her role in the house. It's just been the three of us since then... Xun and I had each other's backs in middle school and high school, but... we were friends. And that was because we were interested in all the same things. Other than Dad, Xiao, and him..."

Her voice trailed off.

Ce was smiling at her faintly as he listened.

"Da, are we not friends?" he asked gently.

Da looked up at him, feeling unbelievably insensitive.

"Of course," she said, almost tremulously. "Of_ course_ we are! I don't even know why I didn't- I mean, I should have thought-"

She broke off when she saw his dimples again, and smiled instead. She rested the side of her head on her knees and looked at him.

"What made you ask me out today?" she asked.

Having laughed, skipped around his apartment, and eaten made her feel much more content, and much less inhibited than she usually was.

Ce looked up, one arm resting on his upturned knee, thinking over her question.

"It was just... something about you," he said at last. "I realized I wanted to get to know you better. But it wasn't just that... You always seem like you work so hard. Like you never have a second to relax. I wanted to show you a good time. At least just for a day."

He grinned.

"I'm sure there's a lot more reasons, but that's all I can come up with now."

Da's heart swelled at his words.

"Well," she said in a voice barely above a whisper. "You've done a fantastic job."

The minutes passed as they watched the birds soar across the cloudy pink sky, greenery surrounding the area. Really, it was a beautiful view. She couldn't think of a better place for one person to live.

"So, what were _you_ like in high school?" she asked brightly. "I bet you were Mr. Popular, always had all the girls fawning over you," she teased mildly.

Ce snickered at that.

"Well, I can't completely deny that," he admitted. "But it wasn't as cool as most people would think. Sure, I was great at sports, had a lot of friends, dated a bit... When it comes down to it though, your grades are really what matter in the end. I wasn't a bad student, but then I was no valedictorian."

He looked at Da pointedly.

She sighed, shaking her head.

"Hardly... Xun's the one who's valedictorian. I came in seventh," she muttered, as though this was a sting that had yet to fade.

Ce gave her a look, and Da blushed with embarrassment.

"W-Well, maybe that's not something to complain about," she amended hastily, and Ce shook his head, looking both amused and incredulous.

"No, it's something you ought to be proud of, Da. I think you've accomplished a hell of a lot. And you still are, every day."

"...Thank you," Da replied, touched by his words.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"What made you agree to go out with me?"

This question came as a bit of a surprise for her. Not because the answer was obvious, because it wasn't... But because she didn't think Ce had ever thought to ask that question before of anyone else. After all, didn't every girl want to go out with Ce? So what made him think, or rather, realize, that she was different from all the rest?

"I don't know why for sure," she answered slowly. "I wanted to do whatever I could to thank you, of course... But as for what made me agree..." She thought for a moment. "I think... it was because I knew I could trust you."

Something in Ce's face told her that had been the answer he was looking for.

"Well, d'you have any more questions for me?" he asked, a humorous edge to his voice. "Ask away, ma'am."

Da tittered, and turned to him.

_Yes, _she thought, almost dreamily. _Why are you so nice to me? Why do you always seek me out? Why do you like me so much? What is it that I'm always feeling around you, and only you?"_

She might have asked him any or all of these. But instead, she merely shook her head, still gazing at him with a contented smile.

* * *

With the late afternoon sun in the sky, Ce and Da left the apartment, and made for her house, Da trying to hide her disappointment at how quickly the time was passing.

Soon after they'd set off, the sounds of music and laughter reached Da's ears.

"Ce, do you hear that?" she asked curiously. "Where's it coming from?"

"I do," he answered, his interest as piqued as hers. "Look... you can just make it out."

He was pointing a little way off, across the field.

A small line of smoke was rising up into the air, with the blurry silhouettes of a crowd of people laughing and leaping about. Several sizable trailers were parked near them.

"It looks like a gypsy festival," Ce mused. "Huh. You don't get that many of them around here. Want to go check it out?"

Da's gray eyes widened, and she nodded eagerly.

"I've never seen one before," she exclaimed, excited, her hands clasped before her face. "It would be another first!"

His one-sided smile on his face, Ce began leading the way in response, much to Da's joy.

They reached the scene quickly enough, and both of them were surprised to see just how large the turnout was: there were dozens of people there, easily a hundred. Almost everyone was dressed in gypsy clothing: the girls in wide skirts and puffed sleeves, brightly colored scarves and sashes tied around their heads and waists with hoops dangling from their ears; the men with shoulder length hair, jerkins and vests, boots on their feet and hats on their heads. Many of the men and women had either tambourines or guitars in their hands.

Da was speechless as she looked around.

There were vendors all around; people who were selling flowers, bracelets, anklets, food and clothes; fortune tellers and hagglers, dancers, magicians and singers. There was a fire going in the center of it, with people toasting marshmallows, meat and other delicacies. Most of the people there were young, hardly older than herself. Some were even younger.

And everywhere, everywhere, the sound of music permeated the air.

Da turned to Ce rapturously.

"This is so amazing!" she cried out.

Ce looked impressed himself.

"You're right," he answered. "I'm glad we stopped by!"

"Mm-hmm!" Da agreed, looking over and seeing a about a dozen people dancing nearby.

She decided to get a closer look.

The moment she stepped forward, all dancers' eyes fell on her. After a few seconds of surveying the newcomer, they parted, inviting her into their circle.

Da's breath caught in her throat, and she looked around, blinking. Well, she hadn't been expecting_ this_...

"Oh, no," she said, in a voice barely loud enough. "I'm not... I mean, I-"

"Go ahead, love!" called one of the fiddle-players jovially, leaning against a trailer, belly protruding, a fat mustache on his round red face. "Room for everyone and anyone, isn't there? We were just about to start a new song." He jerked his head towards the man next to him who held a large drum in his bare hands. The drummer nodded assent.

"The nightingale Miarka's starting us off. Do join in, sweetheart!" he said heartily, pointing to a tall, slender auburn-headed woman dressed in black.

There was shouts and nods of approval at this, everyone eager to include her. A circle had already formed around, now with her at the center.

Nervously, yet reluctant to disappoint them, Da's eyes sought Ce, and she found him standing silently just a few feet away, his hands in his pockets as they always were.

"I don't know about this," she said uncertainly.

It seemed as though a small spark had been lit in Ce's eyes.

"Why don't you give it a shot?" he suggested quietly. "Show us all what the baton-twirler can do."

Da flushed as his words were met with more encouraging yells. A strange feeling came over her right there and then, as she gazed at Ce from the heart of the circle and he gazed back at her.

She opened her mouth, half in a daze, to say that she didn't think this was a good idea, that they'd better leave.

"Only if you lead," tumbled out instead.

It was almost as if she'd said the magic words. Ce's face lit up more fully than she'd ever seen it, as though he'd been waiting for this.

He stepped into the circle, amid screams, whoops and cheers of people gone wild as they realized what was about to take place.

Ce drew closer and closer to Da, and stopped when she was directly under his perfect nose.

The other dancers had already cleared out a long time back.

The floor was all theirs.

"Ready?" he asked softly, looking directly into her eyes.

Da was now made fully aware of how close his eyes, his beautiful silver irises, were to hers for the first time that day. And his face, the face that made her stomach do flip-flops every time she thought of how handsome it was, everything about it just made her want to know him more than she already did.

"Yes," she breathed.

The band by the trailers struck up another tune; a fast, and much more jolly yet melodic one, one which perfectly encompassed the weather, the almost-setting sun, the ambiance and the two lone dancers in the midst of the circle.

_**(Urgent A/N: Sorry to butt in! But at this point, I urgently request my readers to please look up Sho's Song by Cecile Corbel- the sung version, on Youtube. Details in the end-of-chapter A/N!)**_

Ce hand slipped around Da's slim waist, he placed her hand on his shoulder and, taking the other in his, pulled her up against him. Bewildered by their sudden contact, Da was rendered almost breathless as her heart began pounding to the feel of him, to his familiar scent. Bizarrely, she registered that this was the first time they had touched all day.

He took quick, timely steps along with the music, dancing the to the beat with utter ease, his firm yet gentle grip enabling Da to keep up with him with little effort. He slowed down his moves only when the woman named Miarka began singing in a lovely, ethereal voice.

_I am the sunshine and you are the moon_

_We live under different skies._

_But if the sun could open his heart to the moon  
_

_ I'm sure he would say_

Da stared into his deep, steady eyes and felt herself melting. What were they trying to convey to her? Surely, there was a reason why he was gazing at her so... the fingers at her waist tightened in the slightest, and she shuddered. She remembered the last time they had touched, when she had flung herself into her arms the night before. What did it have to take for her to do that again? Did she _have_ to wait for something to prompt her next time?

_Moon, should I try to hide_

_The way I feel inside?_

_Moon, oh would you be mine_

_If I could melt your heart?_

He started twirling her now, quicker and quicker, yet never letting her head spin. Through her almost uncontrollable, graceful movements, Da noticed the circle around them thickening as more and more onlookers gathered, somehow transfixed by the sight of the two of them dancing.

"You're amazing at this," she said breathlessly, quoting what he'd said to her earlier.

"_You're_ the work of art," he disagreed. "I'm just the frame."

"You're a lot more than that," Da insisted, and had just enough time to catch Ce's mischievous smile before his hands lifted her into the air for a twist, and set her down before him, to almost tumultuous applause.

_You teach me to read between the lines_

_You make my heart feel stronger _

_Sadness and fear may be waiting ahead_

_Forever, I know we'll be friends._

Faced with him once more, Da was filled with awe. Would he ever stop surprising her? Would the feeling in her heart ever be explained? And would she ever stop owing Ce... Ce, who had done more than anyone else for her, who had taught her so much, whom she couldn't help wanting to see every day, wanting to please, wanting to spend more and more time with?

More people had gathered and were cheering them on than ever, but Da didn't pay them any mind. This was her moment. This dance was between her and Ce, and it was nobody else's business but theirs.

She gasped when she felt Ce breathe slightly into her neck, warmth flooding from where his lips just barely touched her skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake as Miarka's voice grew softer and more entrancing.

_Oh, should I try to hide_

_The way I feel inside?_

_Oh, oh would you be mine_

_If I could melt your heart?_

Swallowing hard, Da's scarlet face turned up to Ce's. His eyes hadn't changed. Once again, all Da could think of was how they looked as though they were trying to tell her something. But what could it be? Da's arms, which had now found themselves around his neck, wrapped around him more tightly, and she realized she didn't want to let go.

_Moon, should I try to hide _

_The way I feel inside?_

_Moon, oh would you be mine_

_If I could melt your heart?_

The music finally came to a halt after another minute, and so did Ce.

The entire crowd, which by now was the entire festival, burst into applause. Ce and Da stepped apart to face them. He raised their joined hands, and prompted them both to sink into a bow, earning even more applause.

Da wasn't exactly used to being in the spotlight. But Ce certainly was, and she could see why he enjoyed it so much. The audience was throwing petals, confetti, and even rice at the two of them; whatever they could find that was pretty, and were blowing kisses and giving them the thumbs-up. It was probably the most magical experience she'd ever had.

But none of it at all, not even all the best parts combined, could have even compared with the very last thing.

For, while the crowd was still cheering, Ce had walked over to the flower vendor, returned with a fully-bloomed stemless red rose in his hand, placed it in her hair and softly said, "For you."

* * *

They walked home leisurely, the sun just having set completely now. Darkness had finally fallen, and the stars had come out. Da's heart was still beating quicker than usual from all the earlier excitement. The soft breezes encircled the two of them gently. Neither of them said much, simply because there was no need to. Da recalled the last two times they'd walked to her house in silence and smiled nostalgically. This time couldn't be more different than the first. This was a sweet kind of silence. A good kind.

She was quite aware of how the back of her hand was lightly brushing against Ce's every so often. And she saw nothing wrong with letting it continue.

With a slight sinking feeling, she saw that they were drawing closer and closer to her house. The roof was visible now. She failed to stop a small sigh from escaping her lips.

In just a few minutes, the most wonderful day she'd had in years would come to an end.

When they finally reached, Da turned to face him, the heaviness in her heart dissipating as she met his eyes.

"I had a really great time today," she said shyly, feeling the familiar prickle of her face.

Her expression was hard to discern. But he seemed satisfied at her words.

"I'm glad. That's what I wanted."

He smiled gently.

"I don't think you stopped smiling all day, even for a minute."

Da contemplated his words, in slight surprise.

"I didn't... did I?" she said in wonder.

"I even got to hear you laugh," Ce said softly. "Again and again. Mission accomplished."

Da looked up and beamed at him, her eyes shining.

"I should thank you more often," she whispered, her cheeks pink.

His silver eyes grew warm.

"Anytime you want."

Da lowered her eyes, faced with the ridiculous threat of happy tears spilling out of them. What did one say at a time like this? What could she possibly tell him to let him know that at the moment she was so happy, so irreversibly, so completely and unfamiliarly happy? And how had it been so easy for her to reconcile the memory she had of Ce threatening to kill the next person who tried to harm her, with the memories of the person she had got to know before; with the person who stood before her right now?

_How do I tell you what I'm feeling..._

How could she tell him when she hadn't even told herself yet?

She knew that Ce was still gazing down upon her. And curiously enough, she knew he didn't mind her silence. She had discovered that Ce was much more intuitive than she had previously given him credit for. So maybe, just maybe, he understand what she wanted to say after all.

"Hey," he said, his voice low and gentle.

Her eyes fluttered upwards inquisitively.

"You've got something..." he murmured, reaching out. He carefully brushed a stray strand of hair from her eyes with a finger and lightly tucked it behind her ear.

Then, as though it was the most natural thing in the world for him to do at that moment, he bent his head and dropped a kiss on her cheek.

* * *

_And there you have it, folks! I hope you all feel quite satisfied. As usual, let me know how you liked it!_

_Now, about these songs- The first song is a song I recently fell in love with- I'm sure most of you know it. I think the lyrics describe Da pretty well, particularly in the aftermath of Chapter 3/4. I hope you all agree. As for the second song- well, it's from the Studio Ghibli movie called ** (The Secret World of) Arrietty**, and I think it's just a completely gorgeous, melodious song which describes Ce and Da's relationship no less than PERFECTLY at this point... hence why I felt the need to include the lyrics, thereby giving you guys my very first songfic! Yay me! Please do let me know how I did! Okay, back to the song lol. I think the first verse and chorus is very well-suited to Ce's point of view, and the second verse and accompanying chorus apply a lot more to Da (this is helped by the fact that the first chorus mentions the 'Moon' while the the second does not- thereby helping me imply that Ce is the sun and Da the moon. Even their personalities correspond to that in my opinion._

_Anyway, let me know how you felt about that chapter!_

_Oh, and just some interesting fun facts about this chapter:_

_1. This is the first chapter that occurs a day after the last one._

_2. This is the first chapter in which Lu Xun doesn't make an appearance._

_3. This is the first chapter which features only Ce and Da (in terms of playable DW characters)._

_4. This is the third chapter which ends with Ce walking Da home._

_5. This is the longest time Ce and Da have spent together, and the first time they've hung out during the day out of the restaurant, and intentionally (well, duh, lol)._

_See you soon with the next update! Please remember to review :)._


	6. Miss-Construction

_Sorry for the slightly-late update, everyone! You guys probably thought I'd disappeared on you again heheheh... Well, I guess it wouldn't be the first time lol... guilty! It's just that the past week has been pretty stressful to me... A lot of work combined with personal stuff no one else seems to think is important. I'm sure none of you wants to really hear about my depressing little stories, so I'm just going to cut that one short right here, hahah. Let's just hope it doesn't reflect on my work ^.^  
_

_Anyway, I'd just like to go ahead and thank you for all your reviews- and welcome aboard to all my new readers! It makes me happy that so many of you actually listened to the songs and enjoyed them, too. It's satisfying to know that you've done something right :). In other news, I just got **Dynasty Warriors 8**, and can I just say it was the best decision I made all month- nothing like relieving stress with an awesome beat-em-up game! More on that when I've played it some more, though.  
_

_So, to all of you who've been patiently waiting, here's Chapter 6!  
_

_Enjoy._

* * *

Da Qiao couldn't sleep.

She had been lying awake for hours now, able to do nothing but play back her first date with Sun Ce over and over. Her mind was still spinning from all that earlier excitement, and she doubted that it would fade away anytime soon. For the umpteenth time that night, she raised her hand to lightly touch her cheek, her heart's pace quickening as she remembered yet again how gently Ce's lips had pressed his kiss against it. How tenderly. How naturally.

Nothing had seemed more right to her at that moment; nothing seemed like a more fitting close to such a perfect day. The twinkle in his eyes when he gazed upon her... that look of fondness on his face... it was enough to drive her to giggles and send shivers running down her spine all at once.

Da rolled over onto her side, her ever-present blush spreading over even more of her cheeks. She couldn't stop smiling. Just as Ce had said, she'd been smiling all day, and it seemed as if her happiness was bent on lingering. She couldn't recall the last time she had been so happy- and she owed it all to Ce. There was no way she could ever avoid him now- though that had been far from her mind ever since he'd saved her from those goons. Explanations, propriety and hesitation aside for now- she knew only one thing.

_I want to see Ce again._

It didn't matter why. Besides, she was sure there was more than one reason for it. But, finally having the chance to search her heart properly for the first time, Da had been able to come up with this: that Ce made her feel happy. Ce made her feel safe. And Ce made her feel_ alive_.

There were other, complementary feelings, of course- feelings that were volumes powerful, both overwhelmingly alien and pleasantly familiar, and, Da wasn't yet sure, but feelings that, when merged together, felt like the beginnings of love.

_Ce..._

Warmth filled her heart at the mere thought of him, spreading out to her very fingertips- almost as if he were near her right now, favoring her with that fond, mishcievous smile.

There wasn't a chance of changing this. She wanted to see Ce again. And she didn't want to wait, either. Her determination, her lack of denial in this matter was surprising to her- and yet, she welcomed it.

No more holding back. No more running from what she yearned for. And no longer would she put off till the last second what she owed herself in favor of what she owed others- at least, not as much as she used to. And it was Ce who taught her that she had the right to all of this, and more. That was why she had to let him know.

So, when the sun began to rise at last, Da roused herself, carefully tiptoed down the stairs so as not to wake her father and sister, and made her way into the kitchen.

Ce had given her so much to be happy about. He had shown her one of the best times in a long time, and she had to do _something_ to repay him.

* * *

So, hours later with the day still being fairly young, Da had left the house in her uniform for her lunch shift, the handle of a large, carefully covered-up basket in her hands.

There was still a while to go before she was due at the restaurant. She just had to attend to something first- something very important. She realized she was smiling brightly again- had been for a while, and her eyes sparkled with excitement as she breathed in the still-morning fresh air. She knew exactly where she was going and what she was going to do. Da could just imagine the look on his face- she simply couldn't wait!

Before long, the construction site came into view, and her heart beat more wildly than ever. She had never expected anything like this from herself! It was such a bold move, something so unlike her- but for once, she wasn't worried. For once, she felt nothing but positive.

Arriving at the safety zone, she tentatively looked around all of the workers wearing identical hard hats, trying to find the only familiar face, the only face she'd come for.

And sure enough, in the distance, there he was.

Perched halfway off the ground and halfway from the top of the finished frame of a building.

Her blush burned brighter. She had never seen him at work before... His brow was furrowed in concentration, he had a hammer in his hand, and this was the first time she'd seen him actually wearing his hard hat. The sun gleamed off his skin, making it look radiant, highlighting his rippling muscles.

Da stood rooted to the spot, her shyness overtaking her completely. She was definitely going to go over to him and talk, but how? She fought to keep from giggling with giddiness. Already, people were staring at her due to how odd she looked among them... Their puzzled expressions only made her want to laugh even more at what she was doing!

Thankfully, at that moment, Ce looked up.

His eyes landed on her standing there. He did a double-take, and his eyes grew wide. Da could only stay where she was, holding her breath in anticipation, feeling as though she would burst.

His face broke into a smile, the twinkle in his eyes discernible even to her.

He solved her problem of getting to him by grabbing hold of the rope attached to his middle, pushing off with the soles of his feet and swinging around the frame, landing straight in front of her in under a few seconds.

Da couldn't help but gasp at his agility.

_Maybe I ought to think some more about this Superman thing_, she wondered, her heart pounding so loudly, she wouldn't be surprised if he could hear it.

"Hey," he said, his grin still as wide as ever.

"Hi," she breathed, beaming herself.

"This is a surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Da laughed, ducking her head slightly.

"It's nothing like that... I was just thinking..." she took a small breath and looked up to face his warm, glowing silver eyes. "I had such an amazing time last night... and I realized that I was the one who was supposed to be repaying _you_ for what you did, and you ended up taking care of me instead. Again."

She laughed once more, her cheeks pinker than ever.

"So... I wanted to do something to thank you. Properly, this time," she added hastily.

Ce folded his arms, looking at her mischievously.

"Let me get this straight," he said. "So, you came here to thank me for letting you thank me. Is that right?"

Da broke into a fit of giggles. Dimly, she was aware of several onlookers turning towards them with interest, approving smiles on their faces at the pair.

"Well, if you're going to say it like that-!" Da could barely get the sentence out straight amid her laughter.

Before it became too serious, she held out the basket to him with both hands, her face flushed.

"I brought you these," she said. "Just to show you how grateful I am. They're... muffins."

"No," said Ce, his dimples appearing to their fullest extent as he took the basket from her and uncovered it to reveal a dozen of the big, freshly-baked goodies.

"Yes," Da assured him, with a thrilled smile of her own.

"You didn't," Ce insisted.

Da laughed again.

"Try them!"

Taking one out, Ce bit into it, and whistled loudly at once.

"These taste way too good to have come from the restaurant."

"They didn't," Da said proudly. "I made them myself, this morning. But wait a minute, Ce, I don't mean the restaurant's cupcakes are bad! In fact, I find them very-"

"What?" Ce interrupted her, staring at her incredulously.

Da was taken aback.

"Um... I was just saying that the restaurant actually has some really good-"

"No, before that," Ce said, blinking at her. "You said you _made_ these? Like really, actually made them? From scratch?"

Da lowered her eyes, her blush winning out.

"Yes," she replied finally. "Do you... like them?" she stammered out.

"They're perfect," he said, taking another bite, making her smile at him shyly. He reached inside for another one, one that smelled of vanilla and cinnamon, golden-brown and buttery.

"This one looks different..." he said slowly.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Da said quickly. "I should have said... I didn't know which flavor you liked best, so I made one of every kind I could think of. I hope there's none in there you don't like..."

Her voice trailed off when Ce raised his eyes to meet hers, and gazed at her in the way he did which always took her breath away.

"I couldn't love anything more," he said, the sincerity in his voice and gaze making her heart melt.

She had to lower her eyes again as she was threatened with shyness once more.

"Did you really make these for me? And you came all the way here to give me them?" he went on, his voice still as low and tender as before.

"It was the least I could do," Da whispered. "I wanted you to know how much I appreciate you."

"More than you should, obviously," Ce grinned. Then, his face grew warm again.

"Thank you."

Da shook her head, too delighted by his reaction to comment.

"I... I also came here to tell you something else. Well, ask you, anyway," she began hesitantly.

"Ask away," he said, his voice soft.

"Well... it's not for another three weeks. But... my birthday's coming up."

She couldn't know for certain, but Da felt sure she saw Ce's eyes light up at that.

"Oh? That's awesome. What are you going to do?"

She couldn't suppress a laugh.

"What actually ends up happening every year is, Xiao always throws me a little party at our house. Xun shows up, but most people she invites are actually her friends, who like me enough to attend."

She took a deep breath.

"I thought that... that it would be nice to actually invite a friend of my own for a change."

"And?" he said softly.

She dared to look up at him bravely before asking the question she'd prepared for him hours ago. His smile hadn't changed. His eyes were nothing but warm and welcoming, encouraging and gentle.

"I was wondering if you-"

_"Ce!"_

The unfamiliar, joyful female voice jolted Da from making her request.

Distracted, she turned her head just in time to see a tall young woman beaming as she loped her way towards Ce, waving merrily. A smile of obvious pleasure and surprise stretched across Ce's face upon sight of her.

To Da's utter bafflement, the girl flung her arms around Ce upon reaching him and allowed him to momentarily lift her up a few inches into air with one of his.

"How're you doing, honey?" he asked easily as he looked down at her with fondness. "What've you been up to? I hardly ever see you around anymore."

The girl laughed, shaking a shiny black semi-long ponytail that streamed from a braided bun at the side of her neck.

Da was rendered utterly speechless. All she could do was blink in wonder and confusion at this new arrival. She was beautiful, that much had to be acknowledged, with a smooth, pale oval face, high cheekbones and deep hazel eyes. But it was her body the likes of which Da had never seen before.

Not only was the girl blessedly curvaceous, she probably had the the most impressive bosom anyone could ever behold. Da was not poorly-endowed by any means herself, but this girl gave 'busty' a whole new meaning. On top of that, she was wearing a long-sleeved, tight satiny blue blouse with a plunging neckline and a pair of gray cropped shorts, only highlighting her ludicrously ample assets.

Da looked from the girl to Ce and back again, far from comprehending what was going on. Who _was_ this girl? And why did Ce look so happy to see her? Da began to feel herself growing more and more inadequate in the girl's presence.

"Oh, do stop it, Ce. You know how popular takoyaki is at the beach... Besides, the life of a pearl-diver isn't easy," the girl was saying cheerfully, and drew herself up in mock-importance at the last sentence.

"More importantly, I'm being completely rude. What have _you_ been up to? I see you've made a friend!"

And here, for the first time since the girl had called Ce's name, both she and Ce turned to face Da, who stood waiting politely.

"I sure have," Ce said, his eyes twinkling again. "This is Da Qiao. She's head waitress over at the restaurant. Da, this is Lian Shi," he said looking back at the girl with an unusual sort of pride.

Lian Shi held out her hand and shook Da's warmly.

"It's so nice to meet you! Head waitress, is it? My! You must be amazing at your job."

She smiled pleasantly.

Da swallowed hard, not knowing how she was to respond to her. She was uncomfortably aware of the fact that Ce's arm was still slung comfortably around her waist.

_Stop it. It doesn't have to mean anything. You're being ridiculous, _she told herself firmly.

"Thank you," she tried to say gratefully. "I do the best I can. Are you... a friend of Ce's?"

Lian Shi started to answer, but Ce cut her off with a laugh.

"Friend? Nah, Shi's practically family by now."

"Oh, that's so-"

"Or at least, she will be after the wedding."

_...Wedding-?_

"W...What?" she breathed, but they weren't listening.

Ce gave Lian Shi's arm a squeeze, and threw her a meaningful look. Lian Shi flushed beet red.

"Ce!" she cried indignantly, pushing him away. "Stop going around spreading rumors."

She turned to a perfectly-still Da apologetically.

"There isn't a wedding," she explained earnestly. "Not yet, anyway. Ce's just being silly... After all, how could there be a wedding with no proposal?"

And here she glared pointedly at Ce.

He chortled in response.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You're right. Well, one of these days, Shi, you just wait," he said winking at her mysteriously, making Lian Shi push him again.

"Ce, _please._ You're making Da uncomfortable," she chided.

Laughing, the two of them turned their attention to Da once more.

"Actually, I've been hoping you two would meet," Ce said, looking pleased. "Da was telling me about how she never had time to go out the other day. I'm pretty sure you two are about the same age."

"I turned twenty a few months ago," Lian Shi informed Da with a smile.

"There you go! Now that you've met, you could chill together sometimes. You, Da and Shang Xiang. Have a girls' day out or something. How about it, Shi?"

"Oh, of course!" Shi replied, looking simply thrilled at the idea. "Whenever you like, Da. Just let us know!"

Smiling, Ce added, "Shang and Shi are thicker than thieves already, Da. You've met Shang, right? You'd all have a great time together... you can even invite your sister, if you think she'd like to come."

"She'll be most welcome," Lian Shi said graciously. Then, as if she couldn't stand it any longer, she burst out, "Oh, Ce, she's _lovely! _Absolutely beautiful. And so _sweet!_ We _must_ introduce her to Quan, and soon. I think he'll _adore_ her!"

"I couldn't agree more," Ce laughed. He turned to Da, the dimples dancing in and out of his face. "He better, considering how he owes me for always checking out whoever he's wanted to date. What d'you say, Da? You ready to meet my little brother?"

His eager smile at Da couldn't be more telling.

Da had stood in silence the whole while the two of them had been talking.

_Honey. Wedding. Proposal. Quan-!_

The words rang in her head, each a bigger blow than the last.

She felt like she'd been hit by a bus.

Seeing them smiling at her, so openly, so generous in their offers, so hopeful and happy in their unity, in each other's company... It made her slightly sick. A burning sensation filled her throat. The corners of her eyes prickled and her heart calcified into a heavy lump, weighing down her entire chest.

_Oh, I've been such a stupid, stupid, stupid, fool!_

"I think I have to go now," came a strange whisper from her lips that was not her own. "I'm sorry."

Ce's smile was wiped from his face to be replaced by a look of confusion.

"But Da, you just got here," he protested. "Why so soon?"

"Oh, please don't leave on my account," Lian Shi chimed in, looking guilty, of all things. "I can't stay long. I've got to go meet-"

"Wouldn't you rather stay?" Ce interrupted, appearing very concerned now. He let go of Lian Shi's waist and stepped forward. "We could all share these fantastic muffins you made... and when Shi has to leave, I could take a break and-"

"Please carry on without me," said the small, foreign voice. And then again-

"I'm sorry."

She turned and moved away as though in a dream, on what felt like another person's pair of feet. She was aware of Ce calling her name as the distance between them grew; once, twice, and then no more. The unfamiliar feet didn't stop for his voice. And all that could bring was a small measure of relief to her sorrow-filled heart as the disbelief and dismay was finally allowed to begin pouring forth from her eyes.

* * *

Da wanted to stay curled up on her bed forever.

Again and again, she cursed herself for having been such a fool.

What had she been thinking, after all? That Ce had begun to fall in love with _her_? That maybe, if she hoped he would, he even _could_? What had she to offer him, that Lian Shi didn't already? Of course he had a girlfriend... A tall, attractive girlfriend. How had she ever assumed he didn't? How could she have misconstrued the situation so horribly... how did she mistake his pity-born kindness for genuine affection for her?

For of course, he pitied her. That was all his actions could have meant- the reason behind why he was constantly helping her, hearing her out, giving her his time. Was she truly that pathetic? Had she really seemed so introverted, so starved of joy? She thought about how he had suggested her going out with Lian Shi and Shang Xiang, as though she had no friends of her own, no social life outside of her work. The tears wouldn't stop staining her pillow as, looking back on their every conversation, she realized the truth now: all she had been to Ce was a charity case. He felt nothing but sorry for her.

_But... I thought he liked me._

Foolish girl! Like her he did, but didn't everyone at the very least _like_ the person they pitied enough to ask out on a date? And cook for? And dance with? Also, this was Ce after all. Surely someone so nice wouldn't have a problem warming to a meek, harmless thing like her.

And, of course... one _must_ like a girl they were hoping to get together with their brother.

Da buried her face in her pillow to stifle her renewed sobs.

Of all the truth that she had learned today, that had been the most crushing, the most shameful: that she had fallen in love with the man who wanted her for his brother. That, the whole time, he'd been intending her for Sun Quan- whom she hadn't even met yet. But as luck would have it, she wasn't allowed to meet him until Ce had okay-ed her first. It seemed that he certainly had. And that she'd never even realized! Oh, how could she have been so blind! How hadn't she seen the signs?

_"Has my big brother started hitting on you yet?" "He wouldn't, I guess..."_

Why had she stupidly assumed that Shang Xiang had meant Ce rather than Quan? She hadn't used a name... it could have been either of them. And evidently, it was Quan, since as Da had learned today, Shang Xiang and Lian Shi were already 'thick as thieves' and she couldn't possibly have wanted Ce to ask out anyone else.

Da found herself scrutinizing just how different she was from Lian Shi, just how different she was from everything Ce was attracted to. Lian Shi's generously curvy build to her own petite, lithe stature. Her big, luminous gray eyes, as compared to Lian Shi's narrow, slanted hazel. Her fair, rosy face and Lian Shi's pale, perfect oval. And had she even to mention the difference between their bust sizes?

They may be the same age, but Lian Shi's breasts certainly didn't look it.

How could she ever have felt, even hoped, that Ce had developed feelings for her? She knew her place. She had come to know Ce's. And if there was anything she learned, it was that he was out of her league. _She_ apparently was more _Quan's_ type.

Still, though...

Still...

_Still._

Tremulously, her hand reached up to touch her cheek. The place where he'd kissed her, just last night. _Last night! _Oh, why couldn't she freeze that moment in time, and live in it now? But it turned out that however special it had been to her, it had only been a bestowal of kindness for him. Ce couldn't help being popular everywhere he went, after all. No doubt he kissed every girl he knew on the cheek.

The thought made a lump rise to her throat and stay there, making more tears squeeze out. Something told her that even knowing the truth, she would never stop cherishing yesterday, and nothing would make her regret it. She could never go out with Quan, of course, whether she met him or not. She didn't think she could even stomach the idea of dating anyone else now. And she certainly could never speak to Ce again. He couldn't expect her to be comfortable with it, not after all he'd been keeping from her. He probably didn't even care if she did or not, now that she thought over it...

But she would always look back on last night fondly.

_Oh, Ce._

Da shut her eyes, and tried to rest, doing her best to keep her mind off him and failing.

The door flew open thirty seconds later.

"Sis! Are you ready? Come on, let's go, let's go! Time to walk to work!"

Da's eyes fluttered open. Immediately, she mopped her eyes with her sleeves, hoping it wasn't obvious.

"What is it, Xiao?" she tried to say normally, sitting up.

Xiao Qiao happily trotted into the room, beaming as she twirled around in her brand-new uniform: a pretty orange and white outfit with puffed shirt sleeves, a polka-dotted frilly skirt with a huge matching bow in her honey-blonde hair and a ribbon at her collar. Her old stuffed lucky lemur was in her cream apron.

She giggled excitedly.

"It just arrived today. Isn't it pretty! It looks _just_ like my cheerleader outfit. Anyway, it's my training day, remember? You said we'd go to work together."

And Xiao glowed, in all her prettiness and charm. Then, seeing her sister's face, she frowned.

"Are you okay, Sis?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Da said, unconvincingly. "It's okay. I just... don't feel so good today, Xiao. I was actually thinking of asking the Chef for the day off."

Xiao did her best to mask her shock at what she'd just head with an understanding expression.

"Oh, that's no big deal," she tried to assure her, as though shrugging off a minor issue. "Nothing wrong with asking him that; he'll definitely give it to you. Plus you work too hard, anyway. But, Sis, you never told me..."

Da looked at her.

Xiao stepped forward conspiratorially, looking eager.

"How _did_ your date go? With your boss's son?"

Da smiled at her tremulously, her eyes filling up.

"I don't think it's going to work out," she whispered.

Xiao's face fell.

"Oh, Sis," she murmured, hurrying over to sit by her on the bed and giving her a hug. "And I never even got to meet... Well, forget him, then Sis! He probably wasn't worth it, anyway. You know what, it's okay. You can stay here. I'll go to work and-"

"No, don't be silly, Xiao," Da said, returning the hug. "Of course I'll come with you. I'll ask Chef Sun for the day off, and then I'll... I'll stay to watch you train. Maybe it'll get my mind off things."

Xiao gave her a kiss on the cheek in delight.

"Okay! Let's go, Sis."

* * *

They arrived at the maid-café, Da doing her best to listen to Xiao's excited prattling without breaking down again as she thought of how she and Ce had walked to his apartment from here.

"I'll go ask him," Da said. "You can go in and wait if you want."

Xiao nodded happily, and Da went into the restaurant.

She walked straight into the kitchens and did what she'd come to do. Sun Jian masked his surprise at her request very well. Of course, he granted it on the spot. Something in his face told her he wanted to ask her what the matter was, but was refraining from doing so, and she was grateful for it.

Stepping back outside, she saw that Xiao had already gone inside the café, and was about to follow, when she spotted Lu Xun walking up towards the restaurant.

The heaviness in Da's heart lifted in the slightest. At last, here was someone she wouldn't mind describing just what had happened. She was always too careful not to upset Xiao too much, but she knew Xun would be able to stomach it.

Xun made his way towards her, a look of confusion on his face.

"Are you all right?" was the first thing he asked, looking her up and down.

Da sighed. So it was that obvious.

"Well," she began, sighing. "I'll live, I guess. Xun, I-"

"What do you mean? What happened?"

She took a deep breath. This was going to be painful to relive.

"Ce asked me out for yesterday, and I said yes, and we had such a great time, but then I went to see him today, and-"

"Woah, woah, woah. Back up a minute there."

Xun's hands were raised, and his eyes were wide.

"You were out with Ce yesterday?"

Da blinked.

"Yes... I didn't tell you, but that's because I didn't have the chance, it happened Friday night... Anyway, I-"

"_That's_ why you missed my birthday?"

"W-What?" Da whispered.

Xun's features contorted in anger.

"My birthday, Da. My birthday, remember? The one that you missed yesterday? Because you were out on a _date?"_

Da gasped.

"Oh, my God... Xun, I'm sorry- I didn't... I mean, it just-"

"Slipped your mind?" Xun supplied flatly, his amber eyes narrowed. To her horror, Da saw that his hands were forming fists at his sides.

"How _could_ you, Da?" he burst out. "Everyone showed up. _Everyone_. Even Xiao called, and I didn't ask where you were because I didn't want to scare her, I thought you might have gotten lost on the way or something. I was _worried_ about you! I came here to see if you were all right... and it looks like you've never been better!"

"Xun, I'm _sorry_!" Da protested, her face heating up. "I didn't mean to forget- I didn't think- Xun, I didn't know the plan, you didn't even invite me-"

Xun laughed out loud, cutting her off.

"Oh, so now you need an _invitation_, Da? Is that how it is? You've shown up at my house _every year_. Even last year when you just started college, and we barely even talked anymore. With us working together, I thought all that finally changed. But I guess it hadn't. Not when you choose to go out with someone you just met over my eighteenth birthday. God, even Ai and Suyuan showed up! I seriously thought something bad had happened to you! I can't believe you didn't even-"

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Da cried, fresh tears forming in her eyes. "Xun, I didn't! I'm sorry I didn't come, I never chose not to show up... And I'm sorry we stopped talking for so long, I never knew you felt that way about-"

"No, just forget it, Da," Xun said, sounding more hurt than angry now. His fists unclenched and his shoulders slumped wearily, the fight ebbing out of him. "_I'm_ sorry. I should have expected this, anyway. I guess we fell apart for a reason. I shouldn't have said anything."

He turned to leave.

"I'll see you around, Da."

Da's throat was constricted with tears as she watched him go.

"Xun, wait!" she called; but it was too late, he had already turned the corner and vanished out of sight.

And Da was left with tears running down her cheeks once more, wondering how she'd managed to become a horrible enough girl to lose two good friends in one day.

* * *

_So I'm hoping you guys don't want to wring my neck right now! Hahah, and that I get some reviews for this chapter, of course. I'm sure most if not all of you know who Lian Shi is, so there's obviously no need for me to explain what's really going on in this chapter! Anyway, despite its completely bitter and depressing note, I hope you all liked the chapter. Once again, I apologize again for the delay. And, just out of curiosity, if you don't mind addressing this question in your reviews-_

**_How do you all like the title of this chapter? :P_**

_ Okay, gotta go back to destroying Dynasty Warriors 8 now lol._

_See you all with the next update!_


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